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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24426979">Z for the zig-zag (of my heart to yours)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairydustedtheory/pseuds/fairydustedtheory'>fairydustedtheory</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Teen Wolf (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bookstore Owner Stiles Stilinski, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Gym owner Derek Hale, M/M, Multi, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Build Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, polyamory scallisaac</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:29:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>33,122</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24426979</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairydustedtheory/pseuds/fairydustedtheory</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When soulmates meet there's a clarity moment referred as the click.</p><p>Stiles' whole world changes when his best friend, Scott, clicks not only on one but two people.</p><p>(featuring : Stiles as a rich heir and bookstore owner, hater of the idea of soulmates. Allison as the new bookstore employee. Isaac and Derek as the owners of the gym next door. Scott as a puppy in love. Group dates and a whirlwind of feelings.</p><p>aka : soulmate AU.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Allison Argent/Isaac Lahey/Scott McCall, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>438</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Z for the zig-zag (of my heart to yours)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Surprise fic written for Sterek Bingo 2020. This is for the prompts Neighbors and Nightclub</p><p>(this is not part of the bingo verse)</p><p>HUGE THANK YOU to dearericbittle for all her support while I was writing this.<br/> </p><p>Find me on <a href="https://fairydustedtheory.tumblr.com/tagged/plot%20twist%20:%20i%20write">tumblr</a></p><p>I hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Stiles actually saw it happen. In real time, in front of his own eyes. Miracle of miracles, enough to make a non-believer believe in anything.</p><p> </p><p>It was Allison's first day at the bookstore. Stiles had hired her just because he wanted to have company. He didn't actually need the extra help. Bookstores weren't exactly trendy these days, which was a real shame in Stiles' opinion. People would never get the same feeling reading on their Ipads than from a real book in their hands. Some poems were not meant to be read on a screen no matter what people said.</p><p> </p><p>After interviewing a few candidates, Allison had seemed like the perfect choice. Smart, funny, definitely badass underneath her princess smile, and really good hair, everything Stiles looked for in a friend. Definitely someone Stiles would enjoy.</p><p>They had stopped at Starbucks in the morning and she only ordered black coffee no sugar. Even Stiles couldn't drink something that bitter and Stiles was one of the most bitter person he had ever met. Nobody was as bitter as Stiles.</p><p> </p><p>He was busy showing her the little nook upstairs by the windows where Book Club was held every Tuesdays at 5 o'clock. Book Club was Stiles' favorite time of the week because that was when the bookstore really came to life. Well, at least it had been the best time before these jerks decided to rent the adjacent building and opened a gym. A freaking gym just next to the most poetic and relaxed place in town.</p><p>Stiles had indeed a very high opinion of his bookstore. He might be the only one thinking it was that cool, but as someone who really didn't need to work to earn money, he just went with something he would be passionate about. The concept of profits and earnings could just go to Hell. Nothing could beat a quiet day in the bookstore, reading one of the New York Times best sellers, sitting in one of the most comfortable stuffed chairs, skin warm from the sunlight flowing from the ceiling window, and only being disrupted by an old grandma looking for the perfect comic book for her grandson's eighth birthday. That had been the life.</p><p>Then a couple of months ago, it all went to shit because of these jocks opening a gym just next door. On the scale of annoying things, one of them was that as businesses went, they were not exactly in the same niche at all. It wasn't a good partnership, at least for Stiles. They weren't bringing him any new customers. Though maybe the jerks could convince some of Stiles' nerdy clients to go and actually exercise for once in their lives.</p><p>Stiles could clearly use a little bit of a workout routine himself. He wasn't the skinny teenager he used to be but he never caught the Iron man workout bug like his best friend Scott had. They were roommates and Stiles was reminded of his non-workout routine every time he had step over yoga mats and weights or duck under the pull-up bar Scott had fixed in the doorway to the bathroom. Every day Stiles had to be reminded that yeah, sports and him would never be an epic love story.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles' epic love story was his book club. Okay, it just a slight exaggeration. He liked it fine and it had been a nice little moment sharing his love for books. Except now it was ruined by Zumba class happening right at the same time. Last week, it had been more precisely ruined by Ricky Martin's La Mordidita blasting through the wall. Nobody could even form a coherent thought after that. Mrs Altman who was one of the oldest book club participants had been unable sit still, she had clearly been transcended by the music and imagined a Latin lover doing things to her that Stiles didn't want to think about but which had been so obviously happening in front of everyone that Stiles had felt the need to put his hand in front of Little Bobby's eyes. He was fifteen but still, he deserved to keep his innocence intact. Poor Little Bobby.</p><p>Book Club was scarred for life. The hour couldn't have been over soon enough.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Today was Monday though, so everything had been quiet in the bookstore and should have remained quiet for the rest of the day.</p><p>Stiles was talking excitedly to Allison about some of the new arrivals when he slipped on these goddamn floating stairs. Why did he have to choose that ? They looked great, but floating stairs and even worse, glass, transparent floating stairs, were a pain to Stiles' sense of balance.</p><p>Not for the first time, Stiles went flying with big loud yelp and crashed on the ground. Luckily, he had almost been at the bottom of the stairs already so he only crashed from a few steps and managed to not break his neck or anything else.</p><p>Allison stared at him, dumbfounded for a few seconds. She would get used to it in a few days, Stiles thought. He was helpless with these stairs.</p><p> </p><p>That was the moment Scott choose to come in. They had planned to go eat lunch at that new Chinese restaurant on Main Street. They apparently had killer Kung Pao chicken, Stiles had to try it out, couldn't pass on some good chicken. Scott was always down to do what Stiles wanted for lunch even if sometimes he clearly would have rather eaten at the same Mexican food truck on the way home. People joked saying they were like an old married couple except they were past the bickering stage, Scott knew not to argue over the selection of food Stiles wanted to try out.</p><p>Stiles loved the guy to death. They hadn't clicked or anything. How weird would that be to click with someone when you met them in preschool ?</p><p>The craziest thing was that it happened sometimes. The idea alone was extremely disturbing. Clicking at age three and not even having the time to become an actual person, an individual, before being matched for life. How strange.</p><p>Still, in friendship, they both were in a forever kind of deal from the very first day of preschool. Platonic. Very platonic. Nothing remotely sexual had ever happened between them even if as sexuality went, all of it was probably somewhere in the middle of the spectrum for both of them. Scott, bless his heart, loved Stiles like a brother, accepted all his quirks and really liked to live free of rent.</p><p>Stiles never really thought about money. It was a thing he despised, maybe the one thing he despised the most in life. He left that to the company accountants and lawyers.</p><p>So officially, they were roommates until one of them clicked. Sometimes Stiles hoped they wouldn't, that they would stay just the two of them against the rest of the world. Stiles had a thing against change. This life he had right now, it worked. He didn't want anything to change.</p><p> </p><p>Except of course, it had to.</p><p> </p><p>Scott stood there, half way across the threshold, and he wasn't looking at Stiles sprawled on the floor. His eyes were transfixed on the beautiful brunette standing on the stairs leading to the Fantasy and Sci-Fi section. Scott could look dumb some of the time, right now was one of these times. Mouth half open and eyes unblinking, he looked really stupid. Too stupid. Stiles really wished he was mistaken.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh God." Stiles breathed out. He quickly glanced back at Allison. She had the same exact expression, although she did look a little less stupid. "Oh my God."</p><p> </p><p>Stiles couldn't know who was hit the hardest by that click, these two idiots or himself ? Life would never be the same. The nice cozy life that Stiles had spent the past ten years building was coming crashing down on him at the speed of light. The speed of two sets of eyes meeting in the middle of his freaking bookstore.</p><p> </p><p>"Hi." Allison said with a smile.</p><p> </p><p>Scott, that dumbass, couldn't even connect his brain to his mouth. His brain had evidently stopped working. He was just standing there, mouth open, eyes wide. Just helpless. Stiles hurried to get back on his feet. If anything, Stiles had too much dedication toward his friend to let him mess this up too badly from the get go. Scott would be free to mess up a little later, but not now, not when Stiles was here to witness it.</p><p> </p><p>"Alright, Scott, Allison, Allison, Scott." Stiles gestured between the two of them as a way of introduction. He could have done better and more romantic but this way was quick and effective, like ripping the band-aid off. "Let's close up shop for lunch. Allison, you're coming with us. I hope you like Chinese."</p><p> </p><p>Shit. Stiles scratched the back of his neck, awkwardly. There was a wave of nausea fighting his way through him. Stiles could have tried to blame it on his fall from the stairs but really he wasn't going to lie to himself. He swallowed the somewhat sick feeling churning in his gut.</p><p> </p><p>Scott had clicked, he had no doubt about that.</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>Stiles couldn't even focus on his Kung Pao chicken with all the infatuation vibes happening in his life right now, or maybe more precisely in juxtaposition to his life. He wasn't really the one person of interest at the moment. Scott hadn't said two words. Allison was giving off a bubbly happy feeling but not much more than that.</p><p>Did the click make people dumb ?</p><p> </p><p>Stiles was fidgeting full force. Maybe he should just leave and ignore the whole thing had ever happened, go back to his apartment burn all of Scott's stuff. Forget Scott had ever existed. Maybe he could even go back to Poland and live with some distant relatives.</p><p>Okay, that was a little over the top. Stiles didn't know how to deal with strong emotions. Surprise anxiety sinuously finding its way to the core of his being, he was just trying to not appear completely out of his depth here. His fingers kept nervously drumming on the table top.</p><p> </p><p>"Sooo, which one of you lovebirds is going to tell me everything ? How does it feel ?" Stiles couldn't help but ask, clenching his jaw tightly.</p><p>He didn't really want to have a full description, he would be just fine with only a few words really, anything but the deafening silence of their energy waves dancing the tango over Chinese food.</p><p>"Well, I thought you would know, aren't you the expert ?" Allison asked, nonchalantly, around a bite of spring roll.</p><p>"No I haven't clicked yet." Stiles frowned.</p><p> </p><p>He might never click. Some people didn't. He might not want to. He might want to pretend he had been born before the whole click thing had even been discovered by the big powers of society. He would very much like to go back to the 70s, try and fail to grow his beard, dress in psychedelic colors, repaint his Jeep in bright colored flowers, think about peace and love and be free to fuck whoever he'd like without feeling the need to justify himself.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh, that's not what I meant. Aren't you related -" Allison glanced questioningly at him.</p><p>"Allison, maybe you shouldn't -" Scott tried to cut in.</p><p>"I really thought. With your last name, it can't be a coincidence." She continued, frowning.</p><p> </p><p>Of course she knew. There weren't that many Stilinskis out there in the United States, even less originating from California. He could try to pretend that he wasn't related but what good would that do ? She was in Scott's life to stay now. It was a good thing Stiles had liked her before or he might have resented her just on principle.</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah... related yeah." Stiles stuttered, nodding nervously.</p><p>"Did I say something wrong ?" Allison narrowed her eyes, looking at how flustered Scott was getting.</p><p>"I just don't want him to hate you. Not yet. We barely met." Scott blushed.</p><p>Stiles sighed. "I wouldn't hate her. And she's right anyway. Yes, as much as I'd like to forget it. It's me. I'm the owner."</p><p> </p><p>Allison's eyes widened. She wasn't the first and wouldn't be the last to be surprised at the news. He could pass as a bookstore owner no problem, a little nerdy, a little gangly, wearing hipster t-shirts with writings on them. He couldn't really pass for something more than that. That was just as well. He'll happily fly under the radar.</p><p> </p><p>"Have you looked at the news today ?" Allison asked with a tight smile.</p><p>"No. I don't look at those anymore. I hate the world." Stiles muttered, stuffing his face with taste-less chicken.</p><p>"Sorry to burst your bubble but it's everywhere. I don't think you can successfully try to avoid it."</p><p>"What's up now ?" Scott asked while Stiles pulled out his phone.</p><p>"Famous Disney Actor Vernon Boyd Has Klicked !" Stiles read the headline out loud.</p><p>"Damn Vernon Boyd is off the market then." Scott shrugged.</p><p> </p><p>Not that this would be any real problem for Mister Scott <em>I just clicked with my soulmate this morning</em> McCall. Stiles rolled his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>"It's so much worse than a hot actor being off the market, Scott. He has Klicked. As in Klicked TM." Stiles growled at his phone, willing it to disappear and make the news not real.</p><p>"Oooooh. Why would you show him that, Allison ?" Scott squirmed a little.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles went on reading the article. "Vernon Boyd, who is to be featured this June in the new Disney movie, Wolfed Out, has recently announced that he had Klicked. The lucky girl, a Target cashier named Erica Reyes, couldn't believe her luck. She told FanCrush that she had always thought Mister Boyd to be pretty and smart but it didn't Klick until they met in person at one of the company events. How wonderful is the StilinsKlick company for making this happen ?</p><p>In case some of you have been living under a rock for the past ten years or so, StilinsKlick, is the most famous and renowned speed-dating company to find your soulmate. Erica Reyes and Vernon Boyd are the newest proof that this company is gold. Check it out if you're lonely. Your soulmate awaits. »</p><p>"Well, that's good publicity." Allison shrugged. "Can't help but feel happy for them. What were the odds of Vernon Boyd walking in Target and meeting this one particular cashier ? They would have missed each other. At least now they have their happy ending."</p><p>"Always the words to make me feel shitty, Allison." Stiles scolded. "It's not too late for me to fire you."</p><p>"You won't." Allison smiled cheekily.</p><p> </p><p>And yeah, he wouldn't. He liked her too much already, but it might be bad that she knew that. Especially if she was to become an item with Scott, Stiles would never live it down. They would both gang up on him and make his life a living Hell. Stiles had a very limited space for people in his life. Access was to be granted before further proceedings.</p><p> </p><p>"Why do you hate that company so much ?" Scott chipped in. "It paid for your bookstore. It paid for College, for both of us. My mom is still baking you casseroles every so often because she'll probably feel indebted to you for all of eternity."</p><p>"I know, I keep telling her she doesn't have to repay me. But dude, could I ever really refuse one of your mom's casseroles ? I'm a weak man, they're too delicious."</p><p>Scott nodded. "We're all weak when it comes to my mom's cooking. Who needs a soulmate when my mom cooks like that, that's all the love I need."</p><p>Stiles snorted. "Right. Say that louder in front of the girl who is your soulmate."</p><p> </p><p>Allison snickered but didn't say a word. It was nice of her to let them banter and not act like Scott was her property.</p><p> </p><p>"And I mean, if you really hate the company, you could sell it. You'd have more than enough money to last you a life time." Scott finished, tossing a baby corn into his mouth.</p><p>"I knoooow...." Stiles dropped his forehead to the table in a small thud before letting out a loud breath.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn't the first time Scott said something like that. He was right, it wasn't a question of money, Stiles already had more than enough, more than he would ever need or ever dreamed of having. He didn't have to do anything, except read some of the emails Gary, one of the company lawyers, the only person with whom Stiles kept contact, sent him once in a while. The company ran itself by now. Plus, he didn't keep all that money in a vault to swim in it like Scrooge McDuck, he gave almost all of it away to charities, or asked the team to invest it in some new start-ups to help change people's lives for the better.</p><p>He often thought it was better for him to own the company then to leave it in the hands of some finance mogul. But still.</p><p>Still, Stiles hated StilinsKlick with all his might. It had been his mom's baby. More than him. The true creation of her genius, or her mental illness, one or the other. She had been such a strong believer in the soul mate thing. She fed him stories upon stories about true love and the click, it was all he heard growing up. All she talked about until the day she died.</p><p> </p><p>It was very much a belief, but also scientific knowledge at this point that there were soul mates. There was actually one soul mate for everyone out there in the world. Someone to make you happy like no other.</p><p>The only clear thing was that there was a clarity moment, referred as the click.</p><p> </p><p>For some people it only took a glance, your eyes met and it was as clear as day that the person you had in front of you was your everything. That was what happened to the vast majority of soulmates, it surfed the wave of the love at first sight found in all the romance novels.</p><p>It had to be in person though, it didn't work with pictures or movies. It was better this way. Stiles couldn't even imagine the shit show it would be for the entertainment industry if actors were to be flooded each day with crazy fans saying they clicked watching a movie and sending out their pictures. It still happened of course but they weren't taken seriously. It was just science, the click only happened in person.</p><p>For some others, it was the voice. And there, the entertainment industry really played into it for singers. A story would pop up from time to time, a singer would come out and say they found their soulmate in a big crowd of 40 thousand people at a concert and they heard a laugh or someone talk and it clicked and they pushed past all these people to get to the one. That was a great argument for all the tours and selling out stadiums. The crowds would be crazy loud trying to be heard. Stiles just didn't bother going to concerts anymore, it was a pain.</p><p>And the rarest kind of soulmate click was by touch. It still happened, about 2% of the time if the statistics were to be believed. Fingers brushing would sent a jolt of electricity and click.</p><p> </p><p>People would be ready to drop everything, leave their whole life behind to be with the one someone with whom they were meant to be. No matter where they lived or what language they spoke.</p><p>Just bullshit really.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, Stiles believed in soulmates. That was real, it was science, but all the rest, all the rest was bullshit. The whole thing had been bastardized beyond belief. By the media, by society, and by his own mother. None of it felt pure, none of it felt like something to be yearned, longed for. It felt dirty and corrupt.</p><p>Stiles wanted to stay as far away from it as he could.</p><p>So, being the one owner of StilinsKlick was like a knife twisted through his insides.</p><p> </p><p>He couldn't bring himself to sell the company though. It was his mom's baby. Claudia had spent her whole life building it from the ground up. And up it went. The one speed dating company mixing all genders, all economic classes, and giving people 5 seconds to make it Klick.</p><p> </p><p>A glance, a "Hi", a shake of hands. Next. It Klicked or it didn't.</p><p>People actually paid money for that.</p><p> </p><p>Days like today, when a famous actor would Klick on a poor Target employee. Man, all the middle class and down were going to waste money, hard-earned money, on some ill-advised dream that they had the chance to Klick on a superstar or a wealthy lawyer or whatever and that would be their ticket out of their dump. What were the chances ? Stiles just wanted to scream.</p><p> </p><p>Sure, the company had been his ticket out of his dump. He grew up in a very normal setting. His dad was the sheriff of their small town and his mom had had that one dream. The company took years to build, saving money here and there from Dad's more than average paycheck, Stiles not being allowed to go on school trips or to wear brands to keep the money and put it into the company. Their whole lives had been focused on building StilinsKlick until StilinsKlick soared and his mom completely lost her mind. The only thing he had of her was that one vision, that happiness was as easy as five fucking seconds.</p><p>A glance, a "Hi", a shake of hands. Such bullshit.</p><p> </p><p>Bullshit except for this right now, his best friend clicking. For real. In front of his own eyes. The little twinkle in their eyes as they recognized each other, the faint blush on their cheeks because they were trying to refrain and not jump each other in the middle of the San Tung's Chinese Restaurant, in front of Stiles. Enough to make a non-believer believe.</p><p> </p><p>Every person in the world had one person waiting for them.</p><p> </p><p>"There's just no way to explain it." Scott said, answering Stiles' initial question seemingly out of nowhere, his eyes still transfixed on Allison's smile.</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>It could have been easy, Stiles and Scott and Allison, the three musketeers. They could have made a nice life, all three of them. Stiles liked Allison just fine and she was welcome in his little world. It could have been easy.</p><p> </p><p>It went great for the day.</p><p> </p><p>No more than a day before everything went to shit.</p><p> </p><p>It was Tuesday, and Tuesdays really weren't Stiles' favorite days anymore. The jocks next door and their fucking Zumba class were still out there ruining Stiles' life. Honestly, who in the world decided it was a good idea to be taking a Zumba class at 5 o'clock on Tuesdays. More importantly why did it have to be at the exact same time as Book club. Book club was advertised on the glass door of the store. Did the douche gym owners do it on purpose ? They could very well be a bunch of sadists hater of knowledge and words.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles had tried to leave them a nice little note under the door to politely ask them to not put their music too loud. The first note had been ignored. As had been the next six notes, which had increasingly been less polite. The one he slipped under the gym door this morning was "Keep your fucking Zumba music down or I'll shove it up your ass !" with <em>up your ass</em> underlined. Twice. Would that be physically possible ? Probably not, but Stiles didn't care.</p><p>It wasn't the best threat he had come up with in the couple of months since his nemeses started destroying his peace and quiet, but this one had the benefit of being straight to the point.</p><p> </p><p>Sure, Stiles could have gone there and talked to the guy but Stiles had been here first. He had opened the bookstore last year. He was the first, he had seniority over these new dudes. What do people do when they get to a new neighborhood, don't they bring muffins or cookies to introduce themselves ? Did Stiles have a nice little muffin basket offered to him by the gym guys ? Nope. Unacceptable.</p><p>Wait. Wait a second, was it the other way around ? Was Stiles supposed to be the one welcoming them to the neighborhood with a cookie plate ? Shit. It was definitely too late for that now. Stiles was certain jocks didn't eat baked goods anyway. It wouldn't sit right with their very strict all protein diet. Cookies might very well kill them. </p><p> </p><p>5PM was right around the corner and nobody from the book club was actually there yet. Except for Scott who had miraculously made his boss at the Vet's clinic give him a day off. Maybe "I just clicked on my soulmate and I can't focus on purging the anal gland of some old ass dog," had been a good enough excuse. Maybe clicking had that much power. Stiles couldn't know.</p><p> </p><p>The Zumba music blasted through the wall, like every other Tuesdays for the last couple of months. The floating stairs vibrating with the sound were turning into a real death trap for Stiles and his unbalanced feet.</p><p> </p><p>"Scott. Make yourself useful and go talk to these assholes, please. I'm begging you. For me."</p><p>Stiles was desperate. Of course, he could have gone himself. He actually could have talked to them in person from the very beginning and act like a functioning adult. That would have been great if he had done that from the very beginning. Except he hadn't. And he wasn't going to start now, he was on the path of ignorance and would very much like to stay on said path of ignorance until the rest of eternity and never actually see the people making his life a living hell every Tuesday afternoons.</p><p> </p><p>Scott rolled his eyes. Allison laughed. Stiles sighed dramatically. The three fucking musketeers.</p><p> </p><p>Scott did finally accept to go speak to the gym Zumba guy. It could have gone great, the guys could have agreed to turn off their music and everyone would have been much happier.</p><p>All the <em>could have been</em>s were worthless because all it had actually been was a terrible horrible horrendous mistake. Stiles had ruined everything.</p><p> </p><p>Scott came back about five minutes later, rushing Stiles to the side of one of the tallest shelves, hidden behind the historic non-fiction books. World War II testimonies definitely weren't a good omen for what Scott had to say to Stiles, in private, away from the prying ears of his soulmate still arranging the children's book section into themes instead of alphabetical order.</p><p> </p><p>"I clicked, man." Scott whispered vigorously.</p><p>"I know, dude. That was yesterday's news. Why are you acting so weird ?" Stiles pulled in his brows.</p><p>"No, I mean I just clicked. On the guy next door."</p><p>"What ?" Stiles exclaimed too loud, definitely not discreet enough. He quickly glanced at the room to check where Allison was. He let out a breath when he saw her still busy with the children's books.</p><p>"A tall curly blonde." Scott precised, his eyes slightly glazed over.</p><p>"Dude, you can't click every day. That's not how it works. What are you, a click whore now ?"</p><p> </p><p>Stiles was fuming, his hands were continuing the conversation by themselves for a few seconds. Everything about this situation was beyond the bounds of possibility.</p><p> </p><p>"I was ready to fall on my knees right then and there. Like wow." Scott blinked like the image of the guy was still burned on his retinas and his visual cortex wasn't registering it quite right.</p><p>"Scotty, maybe he was just hot ?" Stiles protested. "I wouldn't be surprised that gym guys would be hot. Having a soulmate doesn't make you not human, you are allowed to be attracted to people outside of your soulmate. I'm pretty sure that's a thing. The click doesn't take away your senses."</p><p>At least he hoped that was true.</p><p>"No, that's not it. I clicked as soon as he said hello. Sure he's hot but it was his voice, I don't know how to explain it. What does it mean for Allison ? Because surely a click on sight is less important than a click on voice ? I mean not less important but more usual. Most people click on sight, don't they ?" Scott's voice wasn't exactly steady, translating how lost he actually felt.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles didn't have the heart to get into a anti-click rant saying how everything was bullshit at the moment. Scott was lost and helpless and needed his best friend to help him make sense of all he was feeling.</p><p>Ah, Stiles would have loved to have Scott hooked on some EEG machine right about now and see with his own eyes how the brain reacted to the click.</p><p>It had been done by some scientific organization, it had been done on such a big scale they had had to turn to millions of subjects to find just enough to write a report. The click was only visible on instant. The gray matter wasn't altered. It was one connection in the brain that changed the soul but not the body, so they had to make people click while hooked on the machine. Such insanity.</p><p>They had definitely been inspired by the whole 5 seconds from StilinsKlick in their way of proceeding about it.</p><p>Stiles could laugh imagining the story these people would tell their kids. The story of how they had been in need of some easy cash, went to get experienced on and were lucky enough to meet their soulmate while electrodes were studying the electricity shooting through their brain. That's how I met your mother kids. At least the printed wavelength would make for a good wall art for above their couch or whatever.</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah... it's like 67% on sight. But that doesn't mean it's less real... or maybe you just thought Allison was hot, I mean she is, everyone with eyes can see it. Then it means, you know, you really clicked on the guy."</p><p> </p><p>That would really suck though, go explain that to Allison. She was so sure she had clicked too. All the more reasons to hate the whole concept, Stiles always knew it was a mess.</p><p> </p><p>"No, I clicked on Allison and on the guy. It was the same. I just knew, I know." Scott insisted.</p><p>"What do you know ?" Stiles tilted his head.</p><p>"That they're my soulmate. Soulmates, plural."</p><p>Stiles snorted. "Dude, that's not a thing."</p><p>"I need you to be open minded right now !" his friend exclaimed, fiercely.</p><p>"I am king of open-mindedness."</p><p>Scott rolled his eyes. "Then help me !"</p><p> </p><p>What the hell had happened ? The guys next door hadn't even stopped their Zumba music. They were pointedly trying to make Stiles hate their guts.</p><p>Stiles had to make do, and managed to go through book club hour with the very few people showing up, only the hardcore readers were coming now. It went fine. But nothing enjoyable, and certainly not enjoyable when Stiles had his mind running twenty miles a minute about what the hell his best friend was even on right now. Nobody clicked twice. It wasn't a thing. You clicked once if you were lucky or if you paid extra to meet as many people as you possibly could during your short lifetime.</p><p>Nobody clicked twice.</p><p> </p><p>Nobody.</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>Stiles' idea of helping, he could even admit it to himself, was a little selfish. He wasn't a perfect man after all. He had barely accepted the idea of the three musketeers, he wasn't letting go of that just yet. So he took Scott and Allison out to Honey Creme Ice Cream Shoppe after work so they could enjoy some soft served ice cream and bond. Why Stiles had to be there too ? He was just the chaperone, and he needed to make sure Scott actually saw that Allison was the one for him.</p><p>Stiles couldn't believe this was his life now, convincing his best friend that the soulmate he had in front of his eyes was the real deal. Nobody would believe him if he had anyone to tell.</p><p> </p><p>"You guys are acting weird." Allison stated after one of many whispering asides from her companions. "Is everything all right ?"</p><p>"I should just tell her." Scott loudly whispered in Stiles' direction.</p><p>"Tell me what ?"</p><p>"Way to be discreet, Scotty. Jesus. Okay, so now you definitely have to tell her." Stiles threw his arms up.</p><p>Scott squirmed a little on his seat. He was nervous and with reasons, that idiot. "Allison, you know how we clicked ?"</p><p>"Yes, I was there." She kept her tone neutral and waited to see where this was going. Smart girl.</p><p>"Yeah, you were. You clicked too, right ?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Right."</p><p>"Should I start to regret it ?"</p><p>"Yeah you should." Stiles muttered under his breath. Scott elbowed him in the stomach.</p><p>"Something happened earlier today. And I want to be honest with you, because soulmates aren't supposed to lie to each other." Scott gave her the biggest sad puppy look anyone had ever seen. Stiles rolled his eyes so hard, he almost hit his head against the wall behind him.</p><p>"Okay..."</p><p>"I clicked on someone else today." Scott rushed out. "I'm so so sorry. I don't know how it happened. I'm so sorry. I clicked on you, it was real. You have to believe me. I don't know. I don't even know the guy. "</p><p> </p><p>That was the whole point of clicking, wasn't it ? There was no way to know the person before clicking. The only way to get to know someone before would be to try a penpal love story, but what would be the point of that ? Getting to know someone, loving someone but then realizing upon meeting them that there was no click. That would be too bittersweet, having the hope of a click ripped away like that. It was better to know from the start.</p><p>Of course, people fell in love and even got married without the click but it was a given. They knew from the first moment that they weren't soulmates and grew to love each despite missing that part of love and decided to make it work.</p><p>Soulmates weren't everything, happiness didn't end with the soulmate bond.</p><p> </p><p>"Guy ?" was what Allison retained from Scott's messy confession.</p><p>"Yeah." Scott breathed, looking down.</p><p>"Are you gay ?" She asked all business like.</p><p>"No, I'm bi, which is where it gets complicated. If I was straight, I would know you were the one, and if I was gay, he would be."</p><p>"I see."</p><p>"I'm sorry." Scott said again.</p><p>"I guess, we'll have to date." Allison shrugged a shoulder.</p><p>"What ?" Stiles and Scott exclaimed in unison. Stiles choked a little on the spoonful of ice cream he had in his mouth.</p><p>She smiled. "You date me, you date him and you see where you keep clicking, I guess."</p><p>"What ?" Scott's brain had that error code again.</p><p>"Allison, I knew you were amazing from the moment I met you. Is it too late for me to officially click on you or... ?" Stiles gestured between the two of them.</p><p> </p><p>He hadn't expected her to take this so graciously. She was actually amazing.</p><p> </p><p>Allison laughed. "It's too late for us, Stiles, yes. But listen, I'm in no way going to compete with anyone here. A click is a click. We are supposed to have just one, Scott, you got two. That has to be a mistake of nature. If it's meant to be me, I'll be glad because I know I clicked on you. But if it's not me, then I liked my life just fine before, I don't need a man. I'd like one if we were soulmates but I won't be anyone's second choice."</p><p>"If that alone doesn't scream that she is the one, Scott. I don't even know what to tell you." Stiles shook his head disbelieving.</p><p> </p><p>Where was all the love triangle drama ? Nowhere if Allison was in charge. He couldn't even believe that girl was real.</p><p> </p><p>Though, if she wasn't willing to compete, Stiles saw no problem in competing for her. She was the one for Scott, no question about it. He didn't even need to see the guy in question, he was the future loser.</p><p>Nobody would take Allison away from his three musketeers future.</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>Scott couldn't even wait until Allison was walking towards her car parked a block away from the bookstore before he rushed into Triskele Gym. It took a few minutes, gladly Allison had disappeared in the sunset light and was already out of sight, before he came out of there followed by a guy... wearing a sweater with thumb holes. What ? That wasn't what Stiles expected from a gym jock.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey, I'm Isaac." The tall dude - with really good hair, damn it, him too - offered a hand to Stiles, who made the effort to shake it with a tight smile.</p><p>"I invited Isaac over for pizza, I hope that's okay." Scott said with a kind of excited joy that Stiles had rarely seen on his best friend.</p><p>Isaac was taller than Scott, and yeah okay Stiles' mind went there and he could totally picture them as a couple from just that two seconds of seeing them. Isaac's smile as he turned to look at Scott, Stiles couldn't deny it either. Shit. They had clicked.</p><p>"That's fine." Stiles answered.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It wasn't fine. Nothing was actually fine anymore. That was how pizza turned into a night out. Stiles dragged them to the club sometime around eleven.</p><p>He would have gone to bed if it had been any other night. And really going to the club on a Tuesday, that wasn't the best night to do that, but his brain had short-circuited with everything going on.</p><p>As soon as they had finished eating the last slice of pizza, Isaac hadn't politely said that he should have been going home and Scott hadn't invited him to leave either. The two of them had started to cozy up on the couch and actually talk. None of them had seemed particularly inclined on separating. Stiles had to do something against it. From just the few sentences he had heard from their conversation while looking around the kitchen for something to drink, he couldn't let himself be defeated so easily, he couldn't let Scott completely lose sight of Allison.</p><p>Scott (and Stiles) would never get over the stories about how Isaac and his brother had been in the foster system together. No. Stiles wouldn't let the guy's sad story be the turning point even if his own heart had clenched a little bit when Isaac had explained how his brother was his brother of heart if not of blood and had been his whole world until today and how Isaac was ready to expand his world to Scott now.</p><p> </p><p>No that wouldn't do.</p><p> </p><p>So there they were. Stiles narrowed his eyes at the neon lights of the Nightclub and Bar sign flashing above the door. He really wanted to go to bed. The buff guy at the front didn't look too happy to be there either. No one was queuing, it was Tuesday night for God's sake. What was Stiles even thinking ?</p><p>He quickly sent a group text to Lydia and her gang to see if any of them were willing to join as they lived not too far from here.</p><p>Isaac grabbed Scott's arm as they stepped inside. They giggled like teenagers ready to show their fake IDs. Really, there was no need to feel this giddy, they were all in their early twenties, the club scene was nice but it wasn't all there was to life anymore. Stiles rolled his eyes as Scott took the few steps back to steer him inside the building, closing the distance between them and the muffled music inside.</p><p>It turned out to be pretty packed all things considered. They had to squeeze their way between tables and bodies to get to the bar. Stiles glanced at the two of them holding hands like this was just natural, like their hands belonged there in one another. Maybe it was natural to them. Maybe it was just wrong to fight against it. What did Stiles know about the click but what he had been forced-fed all his life ?</p><p>Isaac whispered something in Scott's ear and they were off to the dance floor. All the dancers moved as one and soon Scott and Isaac were part of the mass and rubbing against each other to the rhythm.</p><p>Yeah, a night club was probably not the brightest idea Stiles had ever had to keep these two apart. At least they weren't confiding their deepest fears and aspirations on Stiles' couch anymore. That still counted as a win.</p><p>Stiles was just stupidly sitting there sipping his rum and coke through a straw, eyes wide and staring at the dance floor and his best friend's beatific smile as that curly blonde held him close, hands on his hips. He didn’t mean for his stare to linger, it felt somewhat wrong to stare at them like this but he couldn’t stop himself. Knots formed in his stomach and he couldn't quite make sense of the feeling.<br/>The atmosphere wasn't sensational, but it wasn't as bad as Stiles remembered nightclubs to be. It was a little packed but he still had room to breathe and a stool to sit on, which was great.</p><p>Lydia arrived, followed by Kira and Malia. God, Stiles had never been happier to see them. They weren't as close as they had been while in college but he could still count on his girl squad and that was good to know. Especially in times like these.</p><p>Lydia took the drink from his hands and dragged him towards the dance floor. Okay, Stiles could roll with this.<br/>She led him to the center of the crowd, it didn’t take long before bodies were moving up against him. Kira laced her arms around his neck and he couldn’t help moving with her, with the music, tightly against each other as they throbbed with the dancers.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles turned to look around, not wanting to lose sight of Scott. He couldn't abandon his mission. Isaac had his arms wrapped loosely around Scott’s neck as Scott held his waist and they were dancing, bodies reacting to the electrifying pulse under the flashing laser lights.</p><p> </p><p>"So, who's the new hottie in town ?" Malia whispered hot in his ear.</p><p>"Scott's soulmate, apparently." Stiles didn't even try to lie. The girls could see through him from ten miles away when he tried.<br/>The music pulsed through them and moved down to his very bones. Stiles spun around to look for them again. Isaac was staring at Scott, his eyes lowered, his lips twitching into a smile.</p><p><br/>Scott stopped him as Isaac was about to lean down to kiss him.</p><p>Crap.</p><p>Stiles knew where this was going because Scott wasn't great at keeping secrets. He went to talk to Isaac's ear and from the expression on the taller man's face, it was clear he didn't really like what he was hearing. A deep look of confusion, to which Stiles could definitely relate, spread across his features. Nobody was supposed to click twice.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh oh, trouble in paradise !" Lydia snickered.</p><p> </p><p>Isaac took a quick step back, shaking his head. He pulled up his phone as he was wading through the sea of bodies, reaching for the bar. It obviously didn't fly as easily as it had with Allison. Allison was a strong woman, but Isaac had been burned by life one too many times.</p><p>Stiles gently freed himself from the girls' hold on him, turning to them with an awkward smile.</p><p> </p><p>"Go save the day, Superman." Kira smiled in return before turning to grasp Malia's waist. Yeah he wasn't needed there with them, the girls could definitely hold their own.</p><p> </p><p><br/>The music continued resonating though the lazy flow of bodies, as Stiles caught up to Scott, still standing in the middle of the dance floor. Completely at a loss.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey buddy."</p><p>"He hates me." was all Scott said, not even looking at Stiles, his voice barely audible in the loud music.</p><p>"No he doesn't. We'll fix it." Stiles said squeezing a hand on his best friend's shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles could have been happy. No more Isaac meant a one way ticket on the Allison love train. Except it didn't feel quite right. Scott looked heart broken and on the verge of tears and Isaac from where he was sitting at the bar and taking shot after shot didn't seem to hold it together any better. There was something about the click. Something about the hope that seemed to steer in someone when they felt it. Something about home and belonging which wasn't supposed to be denied.</p><p> </p><p>"I'll go talk to him." Stiles offered, pushing Scott's back to the crowd.</p><p> </p><p>The girls were on him the minute Stiles left his side. He really hoped they wouldn't rant about the uselessness of the click and how people should despise it and try to avoid it at all costs. Although Stiles had been as strong an advocate as they were while in college, it wasn't the time for a big freedom of choice speech.</p><p> </p><p>"Is this some kind of sick joke ?" Isaac bit out before downing another shot of what seemed to be vodka.</p><p>Stiles took a seat on the stool next to him. "No. It wouldn't be very funny. And... look at him !" He gestured at the general direction of the dance floor. Sure enough as they turned, Scott was still staring at them with a sad pout on his face, enough to make the coldest of hearts melt.</p><p>"Nobody clicks twice." Isaac shook his head, clearly battling something within himself.</p><p>"Don't fight it, Isaac. The pull. That's what you're feeling right now. The pull of the click. It means something."</p><p>Shit, Stiles was turning into a click guru now. Karma was playing a nice little trick on him. He actually had no clear idea if there was any pull to be had after a click. Once people clicked, they found the person, they knew. At least they were supposed to know. Something unquestionable. A sense of acceptance that wouldn't be found in anything else in the world.</p><p> </p><p>"Isaac !" A strong voice called from the entry way.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles' head shot up at the same time as Isaac jumped off his stool to run to the mind-blowingly gorgeous man standing there.</p><p>Stiles couldn't help but lick his lips, taking in the thick dark hair, perfect scruff on a perfect jawline, and piercing green eyes that Stiles would very much like to get lost into, except for the killer glare that said eyes were currently throwing his way. That alone was a big mood killer and destroyed Stiles' wet dream come to life in a second.</p><p>Were they just going to leave and not let anyone explain what was going on ? That would really be a dick move on their parts. Then again, they were the gym guys and Stiles didn't expect anything better than dick moves from them.</p><p>Isaac hugged the man tightly, all the while Stiles was still being killed by the mean stare the brother was apparently stuck on. Something inside of him was definitely decided on hating the guy's guts too.</p><p><em>Chillax dude, you're going to hurt yourself </em>, he thought.</p><p> </p><p>Scott came to stand by his side and now he was the one recipient of the mean glare. Good, at least the hot brother knew who was the culprit here. Stiles had done nothing wrong. He had to suffer the double-click nonsense too. He was as much a bystander as he was a victim.</p><p>In a blink, they were gone. As had been expected. Jerks.</p><p> </p><p>"There's going to be some huge damage control to be done." Stiles shrugged as Scott let head fall, defeated.</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>Scott was absolutely miserable, mopping on Stiles' couch. It was 3 fucking o'clock in the morning. Stiles wanted to go to sleep, his eyes stinging in the yellow glow of the ceiling light.</p><p> </p><p>"I ruined everything. He hates me. I want to die..." was what Stiles understood from Scott's complaints muffled into the couch cushions.</p><p>"Alright, you've had your fun. Stop with the overly dramatic bullshit." Stiles threw his head back with a sigh. "The dude is okay, yeah. But Allison, can we go back to talking about Allison's eyes and Allison's smile like we did yesterday ? I know I said I was going to strangle you in your sleep if you were to say one more word about her, but I take all of that back. Please say you choose Allison."</p><p>"Isaac has made the choice for me." Scott all but sobbed in Stiles' Star Wars themed throw blanket.</p><p>"What are you going to do about it ?"</p><p>"Cry ?"</p><p>"No, come on, Scott ! I refuse to let the click turn you into a wimp. You are Scott McCall." Stiles shook him by the shoulders. "See life from the bright side, you clicked !"</p><p>"You hate the click. You tried to avoid it for years. I don't even know if that's even something possible. It happens or it doesn't. You actually went to protest against it, like not even two years ago. Down the streets, holding up a sign against a concept." Scott rolled his eyes.</p><p>"Yeah. Well. I had my Don Quixote moments. Slightly delusional and insane. I matured since then." Stiles gestured his open hands towards the empty living room like he had an audience to back him up on this. Plot twist, he didn't. And the fact that he had actually matured or not was also questionable. But this wasn't a propos right now.</p><p>"Have you ?" Scott deadpanned, not fooled one bit.</p><p>"I hate you." Stiles said instead on going into a lengthy rant.</p><p>"That makes two of you."</p><p> </p><p>Stiles let out a long suffering sigh. Scott couldn't be left to his own devices on this. Stiles needed to play Cupid and save his best friend's heart or the world would go to shit. Quick. For all Stiles wished they would just ignore the whole thing and stay just the two of them, that wasn't anything close to doable anymore. Not when Scott's heart had felt the first little glimpse of what else was out there. Stiles knew enough to not fool himself. They had to find a way to make the three musketeers happen. Whether the third musketeer was Allison or Isaac was the real question.</p><p>"Okay so I'm going to text Allison and tell her the bookstore will be closed tomorrow. You take another day off from the clinic. Blame explosive diarrhea, I don't care. We need to sleep and then come up with a plan of attack. Your Isaac is a little bit sensitive it seems when it comes to his heart. And his asshole brother didn't seem super friendly and open to discussion so I guess this isn't going to be easy breezy. But we'll figure it out. What wouldn't I do to keep my best friend happy ?"</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>Stiles had a whole speech prepared. How they should all date, not separately but together. He worked on it the whole night. He didn't even sleep at all but even in his sleeplessness he was sure this was the right call. Scott couldn't let go of either of them just yet. He had clicked on both and losing one right now would break his heart, and would stain his happiness of the click on the other.</p><p>They had to make it right. Allison had been fine with the idea of Scott dating two people so she would probably support the idea of dating him while he did so. Of course, there would be some awkwardness at seeing her soulmate date another soulmate right in front of her eyes but Stiles trusted she could handle it.</p><p>The bigger question mark was Isaac. He had looked so hurt by the whole thing. Something in Stiles wanted to make it better for him too. He wanted to make sure that Isaac wouldn't be left heartbroken. He needed to have his fighting chance and Stiles was willing to bet that being able to see what was going on with Scott and Allison would make it more bearable for him. He would be able to grasp the idea that Scott had a bond of equal measures with each of them, and all three of them would be present and understand the moment when the bond would shift in one direction more than the other.</p><p>Now they had to convince them. Stiles worked on Allison and as expected she wasn't hard to get on board. She did put some reserve though, and said she would try out one date before agreeing to anything more. </p><p>Scott had to make things right with Isaac. And Stiles had to force himself to not go with him and hover like a creep too curious for his own good. Stiles had to make some concessions, he wasn't the hero of this story after all. Stiles was fine playing Yoda and sharing his wisdom for a while. If Stiles' strategies failed, there would be nothing to do but to relent.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A few days later, Stiles wasn't quite sure how it happened but Scott managed to pull it off. They were all going to date. <em>All </em>being Scott, Allison and Isaac. All three of them. Not Stiles, even if he was absolutely going to be there with them. And Douche Brother. Douche Brother had apparently been clear to Scott when he had gone into Triskele Gym to beg Isaac for forgiveness. Douche Brother was not letting Isaac go alone.</p><p>Who had the biggest trust issues of the bunch ? That was a good question.</p><p>All of it was going to be a big bag of dates. Scott was in the middle of the three with all his click triangle drama. Stiles was on the side lines which was more than fine by him. He definitely wouldn't trade his place with Scott for anything in the world. Stiles was very happy to be click-free.</p><p> </p><p>Allison was still as great as ever, dimples on full display as she got out of her car and saw Scott waiting in front of the Bowling Center on Saturday.</p><p>Stiles felt like the third wheel already, soon to be fourth and even fifth wheel if the Gym squad was actually planning on showing up. They were late, more than fashionably so.</p><p>Scott was reluctant to move along without them but Stiles said they could go in and chill on the cozy couch in the main bar and lounge or keep the lanes until they got there. If they got there, which wasn't a sure thing. Stiles truly hoped they weren't ditching the whole date scene altogether. That would suck for Scott.</p><p> </p><p>The teenager working at the front desk tried to be helpful and polite as he directed them to the available lanes. Stiles gave him his credit card, telling him that they were meeting some friends and to just put everything on his card and not bother any of them about the expenses.</p><p> </p><p>Allison frowned at him. "You don't have to do that. I can rent my own bowling shoes. You should know, you're the one paying my salary."</p><p>"Oh Allison, this isn't me being a gentleman." Stiles smirked. "Don't get fooled by my platinum card and my endless charm. It's just that spending money on trivial things for the people I love is the only thing that makes being me a little more bearable."</p><p> </p><p>He sounded like a arrogant millionaire but he didn't give a single fuck about it. He wasn't going to say that he usually only acted this way with Scott, and mostly when Stiles wanted to do something that Scott wouldn't be able to afford on his vet's assistant salary.</p><p>It was a non-issue because Scott had been his brother and his friend and gave him a home when he had none. When his mom was losing her grasp on reality and his dad was burying himself in work and alcohol to not see it. When Stiles was nine and no food was on the table for dinner and no one home, all he had to do was call Scott and they would be there in a matter of minutes to take him away from there and feed him a steaming hot serving of chicken enchiladas. Melissa in all her single mother's glory had always welcomed him into her home, no matter how tight money was for her at the end of the month. He had always been welcome, from the moment she bought a second car seat to put in her car when they were still in kindergarten, she always told him to never second guess his place in her family.</p><p>No money could ever repay having a home somewhere in the world.</p><p> </p><p>Before they could sit down another teenager came over and showed them how to use the computer and how to get the bowling balls. Stiles assured him everything was under control and that he could go check the billiard tables or the arcade and would still get his tip at the end of the night.</p><p>Yes, he did sound like an arrogant ass. And because Karma was a bitch, the large bowling ball Stiles was trying to lift slipped from his fingers and crashed just a inch away from his foot. The loud girly yelp he let out was enough to destroy all his cocky confidence for the night.</p><p>Allison tried to muffle her laugh in her hand. This was probably the least dignified yelp she had heard from him so far. That was saying something because Stiles yelped a lot in the bookstore.</p><p>The gym jocks arrived a few minutes later. Stiles thanked the universe that they hadn't been there for his catastrophic meeting with the ball. His dignity was still intact, at least for these two, if not for the entirety of the bowling alley staff and customers.</p><p> </p><p>Isaac came to him right away with a tight smile and handed something to him. Stiles took it and glanced down to see his credit card.</p><p> </p><p>"We don't take charity." Isaac said awkwardly.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles was about to reply, but no word came out of his open mouth. A glance at the older brother, still with the same death glare and now his arms tightly crossed over his chest, and Stiles had lost any will to live. There was just something really off about the vibes that guy was giving off. Something that itched at the back of Stiles' neck, tingling down his spine. He just rolled his eyes and pocketed his card without a word.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles pointedly didn't say another word for the couple of hours they stayed there.</p><p> </p><p>Isaac's brother – Derek was his name, not that they had been formally introduced, Stiles knew that just because that was how Isaac called the guy – was just content with sitting there and not speak a word the whole time. He had met his match because Stiles wouldn't be the first one to break.</p><p>It was Hell. Stiles was a talker but this wasn't his date so he wasn't going to steal anyone's thunder. Scott had to shine here and he sort of did. He was blushing the whole time, the three of them were blushing the whole time. It was embarrassing. If Stiles didn't know any better, he'd think Isaac and Allison were also blushing at each other. That wasn't possible though, unless they were blushing at how awkward it was to be competing to please a guy, like this was a crappy episode of Bachelor Scott or something.</p><p>Mister Broody next to Stiles was clenching his jaw so hard that it was actually audible from the other side of the lane where Stiles was sitting. Derek wasn't even participating in the bowling side of the day so why was he even here, except maybe to act as a kill joy. Stiles never had any old grumpy grandpa in his life but he was fairly certain this was exactly the mood spending the day with your old ass mean relative would have felt like.</p><p> </p><p>All in all the date went great.</p><p>Scott seemed to be having the time of his life, even though he was clearly losing against Isaac and Allison. No, the computers were not rigged, Scott just sucked at bowling.</p><p>Maybe Stiles should have thought about that before making them all come here. Although, the point had never been to make Scott look good so it probably didn't matter. Better let his soulmates know how terrible he was at some things. Bowling being the first one of them. Not acting like a love struck puppy in front of the two people he was love struck for was definitely close second. He couldn't keep it together.</p><p>He wasn't showing more interest in one or the other, not from what Stiles could see at least. They were going to have a talk once they got home because this clearly didn't seem to help clear out the double click nonsense. They might need more dates.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles went to order food for everyone, without actually saying or asking anyone since he was apparently forbidden to be generous with his money. He just went to the counter asked for the lane-side meal and beverage menu while no one was looking. He ordered a couple of the family size servings of curly fries and wings, and just put them on the table behind them without a word.</p><p>He really made the effort to not let out a snarky comment when Derek McGloomy reached a hand out to take a couple of fries out of the plate and ate them. Stiles didn't ask about the all protein diet or fat intake or the fact that these were his fries and Stiles hadn't invited him to eat any of them, <em>not with that attitude no mister </em>.</p><p>Stiles said nothing and just gave himself a mental high five because he had so much self-control, it was amazing.</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>The next date wasn't exactly planned, at least not by Stiles, which was certain to make it a terrible idea. Derek had apparently asked Scott to come zip lining with them over the weekend. Isaac's brother was obviously trying to sabotage the triangle dating. Stiles had no intention to let that go unnoticed. </p><p>Scott had mentioned the date to Stiles in passing one morning, like this was no big deal.</p><p>Stiles had said "Oh no, no way."</p><p>No way he was going to let this be done without a fight. The gym jocks still were absolutely ignoring his little notes about the Zumba music. Derek, okay, that wasn't surprising. They crossed paths sometimes during the week days, opening the stores at the same time, they would sometimes nod their heads in recognition but not much more than that. Derek still felt very closed off and Stiles wasn't really sure he wanted to make the extra effort to engage him.</p><p>But Isaac ? Isaac could have turned the music down.</p><p>They were practically becoming brothers at this rate. Scott couldn't help being an indecisive little love bug, dragging the triangle along as he felt like his heart couldn't make a choice yet. Isaac was over at their apartment for take out night and to play Mario Kart during the week days. Stiles saw the guy as much as he saw Allison and he worked with her all day. It was a wonder how Scott hadn't been fired from the vet's yet because he was taking extremely long lunch breaks these days to be with her.</p><p>Sometimes Isaac joined them too, sometimes Isaac came in the bookstore between some spin classes or some other, a little sweaty and flushed and he would bring Stiles and Allison some green smoothie just to be nice. Allison would smile her dimples out and Isaac would excuse himself blushing and looking at the ground like a mademoiselle in front of her soon to be husband.</p><p>The whole thing was a trip if Stiles was being completely honest. He was having so much fun teasing all of them.</p><p>They were all becoming fast friends. He couldn't help but wonder about the next step, what would happen when Scott would finally be able to choose. It was a little anxiety inducing to have that out of Stiles' control. He didn't feel like taking sides anymore. He loved Allison, but the three musketeers didn't last long enough for him to commit to it truly.</p><p>Isaac had grown on him too. There was a soft quality to him that Stiles appreciated. He was also very sassy when he got to be comfortable around people which was incredibly fun when they took turns roasting Scott.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles' little world was quite nice. He wasn't ready to have it change again.</p><p> </p><p>That was the reason, Stiles and Allison showed up ready to go. They were totally crashing the zip lining date Derek had planned and even worse, or better, they were also crashing the road trip to get to Mariposa.</p><p>Scott, Allison and Isaac all crammed into the backseat and Stiles was left sitting in the front with Derek. The death stare was definitely back in full force but he decided to ignore it and just kept pulling on his seat belt to turn around and talk to his friends.</p><p>At some point, Derek pressed on the brakes too hard, stopping abruptly in the nearly empty road and just turned to Stiles and growled, <em>"Stay seated."</em></p><p>Stiles swallowed thickly. He didn't really understand why he felt like a child being scolded for misbehaving. He had been misbehaving, road safety and all, but he was not a child and Derek had no right to scold him, no right to feel like it was his place to tell Stiles anything.</p><p>Still, it took a long time before the threesome at the back started talking again, and Stiles didn't have the heart to join in anymore. He just stared out the window for the rest of the drive. He was trying hard to stay very still, almost didn't dare breathe. He focused his gaze outside, looking at the lines painted on the road passing by.</p><p>Not for the first time, Stiles thought about that one strange feeling he got when he was around that Derek guy. He couldn't quite put his finger on what was unsettling him so much. Something about how Stiles couldn't quite concentrate on anything with that man there, and it wasn't just because he was extraordinarily easy on the eyes and was stealing Stiles' focus with his beauty. No, it was something else. It rubbed Stiles the wrong way.</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>The staff accepted to make an exception for them and added Allison and him to the tour on short notice. It wasn't rush hour or rush season for that matter. It was still a little early in the spring. Yosemite was in bloom with wildflowers, the sun flowing in patches of light on the ground. Tourists would be flowing in soon enough but for now it was a quiet day. It was just as well. Stiles could find peace in nature, could let himself enjoy the gentle warmth of the sun overhead, the chirping of birds in the trees. It helped calm the worrying quiver running through him down to his fingertips.</p><p> </p><p>A couple of guides explained everything about the equipment and what was to be expected on the way. They were all very excited and showed them how to put the harness and gave them gloves and helmets.</p><p>Stiles was a little nervous, he had never zip lined in his life. He wasn't super comfortable with the idea of trusting a small harness with his life, or at least the wholesomeness of his physical body. Derek seemed to be in worse shape, tense shoulders and a deep scowl never leaving his face. That was a little strange, since all of it had been his idea in the first place. Stiles didn't ask.</p><p> </p><p>The guides took them in a couple of off-road vehicles to the start of the lines. One of them was there to clip the harness just right before anyone took the plunge zipping through the trees and mountains.</p><p>It was funny how sometimes strangers had such an easy time asking the hard questions. Stiles would have laughed if it wasn't so awkward and inconvenient to be forced to socialize while doing something so out of his comfort zone. The guides seemed to be in perfect control though. That was good to know since they were basically the only thing keeping them alive.</p><p>The guide, the one who was wearing sunglasses like this was the hottest day of summer, asked about whether any of them were soulmates. He said it so casually, as if this was a perfect conversation starter. Stiles had been out of the loop of socialization since graduation and back then college kids weren't all rushing into the idea of commitment for all eternity. Nobody asked whether anyone had clicked at college parties. If anyone had, sure, they would be happy to introduce their soulmate but it was a one way thing, not something anyone was free to intrude on. Was it a thing adults asked each other all the time ? How freaky.</p><p>Scott stuttered awkwardly, and Allison just answered, "Yes, definitely soulmates," without giving any indication as to who she was referring to and stopped at that.</p><p>The guide then turned to Stiles, "And I saw on the form that you were a Stilinski, from StilinsKlick right ?"</p><p>Stiles sighed. He thought sometimes that it would be easier if he just changed his name and went to live down in Mexico. He nodded.</p><p>"That's awesome. You must know all the celebrities and know everything there is to know." Ostentatious Sunglasses exclaimed. That was the one thing strangers always told him. How awesome ! Celebrities ! Klicks ! Yeaahhh. Stiles' mind was trying to go brain dead for a second.</p><p>"Hardly," He huffed, exasperation lacing his words. "That company is crap, the whole concept is crap. I don't want to meet any celebrities, I'd very much like to think there is still something genuine to find in this world, apparently not according to society or even my own mother. And if my friend Scott here hadn't clicked and wasn't meant to have all the happiness possible in this world, I would very much like to ignore the whole soulmate thing for all of my life. But yes, I am a Stilinski."</p><p> </p><p>Amazing panoramic views weren't the place to go into yet another rant about the company sharing his name but well Stiles had had too much of this weight on his heart. Derek glanced at him, as if he wanted to ask a question too but that would have been strange as they weren't exactly on speaking terms.</p><p> </p><p>"Also. I'm batman." Stiles concluded in all seriousness.</p><p> </p><p>The poor guide wasn't striking gold in the socializing department and seemed to come to the conclusion that it was safer to stay quiet for a while.</p><p>They all went down the first line. It was actually incredibly fun. Stiles' heart pounded so loud as he jumped off the platform. He might have screamed the whole way down. He had to let go of all his self protective instincts and all the anxiety usually holding him on the ground as he went flying through the air.</p><p>They were all having fun. Scott, Isaac and Allison kept cheering each other and hugging.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles' heart stumbled in the lively atmosphere. He didn't feel like second-guessing and analyzing everything around him. Scott was happy, everyone seemed to be taking this just as it was and forgetting that it had to be a competition. They weren't opponents, they were just living. Stiles felt so free for a few seconds.</p><p>It took a couple more lines before the guide tried to speak again.</p><p>"This was for a birthday, right ?" He said, trying to act casual and not like Stiles had traumatized him in any way.</p><p>"Yes," Isaac smiled. "My birthday was a couple of months ago but we just got around to booking the day off. It's a present from my brother."</p><p> </p><p>Stiles only realized he was watching Derek, when the older man's expression changed drastically as he smiled softly hearing the last word. Isaac using the word brother had had the power to change his whole demeanor. As if, that was the only thing that made Derek's heart clench in a good way. Stiles guessed it wasn't so far off, growing up in the foster system, Derek probably knew how invaluable it was to have one person. A brother.</p><p> </p><p>"I guess it wasn't easy to leave the gym for the day." Scott said.</p><p>"Yeah, you guys are pretty much workaholics in love with your job." Allison chimed in.</p><p>"Nah. We're not in love with our job. We don't dream about pulling weights. At least, I don't. I can't speak for Derek here." Isaac smirked as Derek rolled his eyes. "But yeah, it has been a long time coming. Derek fought for it since..." Isaac's face softened. "since he was eighteen basically. And now, we're here. No more running to banks after banks, no more endless hours working flipping burgers for a crappy minimal wage. We're here, we have the gym."</p><p> </p><p>"And what about that Zumba class ?" Stiles cut in, trying to break the tension he felt coming off from Derek's bottled up emotions standing next to him.</p><p>Derek clearly wasn't great at dealing and expressing his feelings. Isaac's show of adoration just now had to be just a little too much for a nice little day out in the trees. Stiles couldn't explain why he felt the need to jump in, but the guy deserved a break.</p><p>"What about these great notes you keep leaving under the door ?" Isaac smirked. "Are we gonna keep getting them ?"</p><p>"So you got the notes ! That's good to know ! And you ignore each of them !" Stiles raised his voice, throwing his arms up.</p><p>That wasn't exactly a surprise, Stiles was very much acting like a drama queen just for the fun of it. He could see Scott rolling his eyes, probably thinking that his best friend was an idiot. The point had been to break the tension, and Stiles could congratulate himself because the tension had been broken, ice melted and all that.</p><p> </p><p>Isaac just shrugged and seemed unphased by Stiles' outrage but for a little twinkle in his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>"My favorite has to be the one with the poem." Derek interjected.</p><p> </p><p>Shit, that was the first real sentence that Derek had spoken without being mad or forced to say something to answer a question. It wasn't a monosyllabic grunt or anything. That shouldn't be as amazing as it was, but it was. Stiles spun around a little too quickly, as he heard him, flailing so much that Derek had to put a hand on his side to steady him. They were on one of the wooden platforms above ground for Christ's sake, Stiles couldn't flail and fall and hope to come out of it in one piece like he did at the bookstore. He should really be more careful with himself.</p><p>The firm press of hand was warming Stiles' skin even through the thick material of his plaid shirt.</p><p>He felt chills run down his spine, blood rushing to his face. Was there not enough of ignominy for him to endure without having his poem mentioned out loud on top of everything else?  </p><p> </p><p>"That one was very creative," Derek continued. "Definitely something a twelve year old girl would write about her crush."</p><p>"You got that from the initials spelling Zumba ?" Stiles nodded, lips twitching upwards without him meaning them to.</p><p>"That one deserves to be framed. Z for the zigzag of..."</p><p>"Oh because you kept them !" Stiles cut him before he could go any further. He glared at Derek a mean little glare, though he was obviously red in the face by embarrassment more than anger so it wasn't very intimidating.</p><p>Jesus Christ. He was not ready to have this creepy poem put out in the open. Especially not in front of Scott. Stiles couldn't believe Derek memorized it. He might not have done it on purpose of course, who would want to memorize a crappy poem asking people to turn the Zumba music down, but he read it with enough attention that he could remember some of it from the top of his head ? That was sort of freaky and sort of sweet but Stiles wasn't too clear about that last part. "And yet, the music is still blasting as loud as ever."</p><p>"It's not my fault the walls are paper-thin." Derek shrugged a shoulder innocently, in a <em>what can you</em> <em>do?</em> manner.</p><p>"How about you take your big muscles and sound proof the place ?" Stiles moved away just an inch so Derek's hand fell from his side. The hand was too distracting, he needed his brain function if there was some verbal actions to be had. "I mean muscles like these, they have to be good for some things yes ?"</p><p>"Some things yes." Derek repeated, with a cocky tilt of the head.</p><p> </p><p>And okay, no, Stiles didn't want to think about every way Derek could possibly put his muscles to good use, and how he could possibly put his muscles to good use with Stiles, maybe in a bedroom or some other kind of available semi-private place. Stiles could barely stand the guy on any normal day, what could possibly be in the fresh chaparral scent in the air that made him change his whole view on things as soon as the guy started to mock him. Stiles didn't have a mocking fetish, did he ?</p><p> </p><p>"How about you ?" Derek continued, eyebrows joining the conversation now. "Are you actually good at anything ? Except being infuriating on a daily basis ?"</p><p>"No." Stiles answered rapidly. "Wait. Let me think.... I'm not naturally an insensitive jackass."</p><p>Isaac looked ridiculously proud of what was happening at the moment, probably only moments away from fist bumping either Derek or Stiles, maybe both. Scott threw his head back, barked out a laugh.</p><p> </p><p>The lines got longer and steeper with every new step toward the finish line. What a ride, Stiles felt exhilarated by the rush of adrenaline. The threesome's giddiness at being with each other was also very communicative. Even Derek seemed to feel it. His eyes had a little glint in them that Stiles hadn't seen before and his usual scowl was turning into something more pleased and pleasing.</p><p> </p><p>The sun flowed through the thick green foliage of the trees overhead, some lucky sun rays hitting Derek's eyes just the right way, highlighting all the different colors and central flake of brown. Damn, if Derek was attractive when he was broody, it was a whole new level when he started smiling. Even these tiny little twitches of lips were enough to make Stiles' heart leap.</p><p>He turned out to not be that bad to be around. As far as fourth and fifth wheels were going, he was actually a nice enough companion. He bumped Stiles' shoulder at some point head gesturing to the three being particularly cute. Allison putting her hair behind her ear, tilting her head towards Isaac winking and Scott grinning like an idiot.</p><p>Flirting as a three piece should have been more awkward than this but Stiles wasn't going to remind them that it was still supposed to be a date to determine Scott's real click. He fought the urge to smile fondly at his three dumb friends.</p><p>Stiles felt as pleased by his friends enjoying themselves as he did with being surrounded by beautiful views of the Sierra, and maybe secretly deep down, very hidden in the corner of his being, also pleased by having Derek standing next to him.</p><p> </p><p>When they got to the last line, the longest one, Stiles had lost all his reserve and was ready to jump. Two lines were racing each other through the trees. A guide was first to go in a race against Derek. Stiles might have cheered for Derek a little but he wouldn't admit to that. He was just too animated and needed to let it out somehow.</p><p>Next, Stiles raced Scott and sadly lost. He would have been a sore loser but then again, Derek was there to help him to a stop while the guide was unbuckling Scott. Stiles didn't even feel unsafe about anything anymore. He would very much go again and do the whole loop all over again if it wasn't time to leave already.</p><p>Allison raced Isaac and won. She was laughing a very contagiously happy laugh. And as soon as she was unbuckled, she found a way to Scott and kissed him sweetly on the lips. Scott flushed red and didn't even have time to react before it was over. Isaac was there, blushing as well. It could have been uncomfortable but Allison didn't even let anyone time to register things before she took the small step separating her from Isaac and kissed him as well.</p><p>Stiles choked a little. What. There was something off with the triangle. Were they all really bad at geometry ?</p><p>She laughed and just nudged Isaac in Scott's direction. They both looked at her with a look of uncertainty but she smiled, shrugging a shoulder, and that was all the encouragement they needed before Isaac leaned down to kiss Scott too. Just as soft and sweet as she had done just a minute ago.</p><p>The guides were somewhat distraught but didn't comment on what was happening. Stiles was also a little beside himself. Allison always found a way to surprise all of them, didn't she ? She just made up her own rules about everything and Stiles was as amazed as he was confused by the fact.</p><p> </p><p>"Anyone wants to kiss me too ?" Stiles joked to break the tension.</p><p> </p><p>They all laughed. Well, except Derek, but he wasn't the kind of guy to actually get Stiles' sense of humor, was he ?</p><p> </p><p>The drive back home happened in an incredibly better mood. It was hard to imagine it had been only a few hours since that dreadful drive in the morning. Everything felt light and bubbly inside of Stiles. His mind twirling around in a gust of something foreign and nameless. Exciting.</p><p> </p><p>"So, guys, are we putting a label on things yet or are you still figuring things out ?" Stiles asked, craning his neck but not moving the seat belt in order to stay safely seated.</p><p>That seemed to be very important for some reason and he would gladly obey some unspoken guideline if it meant Derek stayed happy next to him. Something inside of Stiles just wanted to do right by Derek, even in such a tiny way.</p><p> </p><p>"I think we should date." Allison said simply. "be boyfriends and girlfriend. Scott is bi, I sort of got the vibe that Isaac was attracted to me too and I'm fine having two boyfriends so I don't think we should overthink things."</p><p>"I'm down with that idea." Scott nodded vigorously.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, that would be making his life so much easier. He just aced himself a boyfriend and a girlfriend from his double click and he didn't even have to choose and deal with any real consequences.</p><p>The only thing missing was Isaac. They all turned to look at him expectantly. Even Derek was adjusting the rear view mirror to look at him. Sharing wasn't something that came easily to everyone. Stiles certainly struggled with the concept at times.</p><p>Isaac shrugged with a little curl on the right corner of his lips. "I guess I'm down too."</p><p> </p><p>"What ?!" Stiles exploded. "Oh my God, are you guys serious ? That's awesome ! Does it mean I get to keep all of you ? That I get -"</p><p>"This isn't exactly about you, Stiles." Derek interrupted, arching an eyebrow, hands on the wheel and eyes still securely on the road.</p><p>"Oh and who is this about then ? You ?" Stiles asked, dramatically shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie as would a petulant child. </p><p> </p><p>Derek rolled his eyes. That gesture had never been more alluring before. Stiles shook his head and focused his gaze on some distant point on the horizon for a few minutes, before glancing back to the back seat and seeing his three friends holding hands.</p><p> </p><p>This felt right somehow.</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>That was how it was going to go from now on. What could have been the three musketeers was in fact turning into the five musketeers. Obviously, it could have just been Scott setting off with his girlfriend and boyfriend into the sunset but somehow that wasn't what was happening.</p><p>Maybe Scott was to blame. He kept inviting them over to their apartment for Taco Tuesday. He would grab an insane amount of tacos on his way home from the vet's clinic, like he couldn't even do the math of how many tacos were needed for so many people. That didn't explain though why Stiles wasn't politely invited to stay in his room during date night, and that certainly didn't explain why Derek was also coming.</p><p>Surely, he had let go of his overprotective big brother syndrome. Isaac was really holding his own in the group now, but Derek was still coming. He would usually be sitting quietly on the far end of the couch while Stiles would be sitting on the floor. The place hadn't been furnished with so many people in mind. Stiles would need to invest in a bigger couch, maybe into some comfy armchairs, or at least some bean bags. He kept glancing back at Derek, couldn't seem to stop, enthralled by every time he actually caught Derek staring.</p><p>Stiles was being absolutely messy with food most of the time and couldn't even manage to put a taco in his mouth without either choking or losing half the garnish. That was probably why Derek was staring and that little twitch on his lips was definitely mocking. Stiles couldn't help but answer it with a smirk of his own, like this was a secret smirk competition between them.</p><p>They did eat the whole insane amount of tacos, Isaac and Derek seemed to be absolutely starving. The whole zumba class was to blame for their Tuesday hunger. They certainly didn't seem as hungry on other days, especially not on Thursday. Thursday was yoga day, and yoga didn't seem to make the guys as hungry as other classes, so they would usually get sushi on Thursdays. The fact that Stiles knew that was mind blowing. Stiles' curiosity and need to know everything in extreme details were to blame as to explain why he had memorized the gym schedule and maybe made a chart of when the guys were free to hang out during each days and the days they would be particularly busy.</p><p>On Wednesday, they wouldn't see them at all, or maybe just Isaac running quickly into the bookstore to give a sweet little kiss to Allison before running back to the gym as they were doing private training sessions on top of group classes all day. Isaac had admitted that they didn't have time to get a proper lunch and would power through on granola bars.</p><p>That wasn't right, not for sport people using all their energy. They wouldn't be able to go on with a regimen like that for long. Stiles would sometimes go in the gym, just to bring them food and maybe he had googled some recipes for healthy sport drinks and made sure to put a jug in their mini fridge from time to time.</p><p>He just liked to make sure people ate right.</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>"I bruise easily." Stiles felt like he needed to say as he threw himself out of the car with unnecessary flails. They were setting off into the paintball battle of the century.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles had come prepared. He had researched everything from the moment Allison said she wanted to try it out and her boys were all over the idea, because of course, would they ever disagree with Allison's ideas ? Probably not.</p><p>Stiles could honestly say he would have sat this one out. He didn't actually need to be present for all the official dates now. Yet the words hadn't left his mouth, and now they were all there, wearing long sleeve shirts, long jeans and gloves. Stiles even wore a heavier jacket to try to protect his soft fair skin. Derek gave him an unimpressed look as he shrugged off his leather jacket. Show off. Yes of course mister muscle wasn't scared of small paint balls.</p><p>They were geared up and ready to go. Allison shouldn't have looked so comfortable with a weapon in her hands. She was a bookstore employee, where had she put her nerdiness ? This was a terrible mistake, Stiles was surrounded by born killers and he felt like prey.</p><p> </p><p>Allison, Isaac and Scott took turns trying to shoot at him. Every time they came close, earning a big loud screech out of Stiles each time he jumped out of the way at the last second, they took off their face masks just to kiss each other in celebration. Jerks.</p><p> </p><p>The paint balls were not supposed to hurt more than a bee sting but newsflash everybody, a bee sting was actually painful as hell. The only time Stiles had been stung when he was seven, he cried his eyes out for hours. The fact that he had been seven was of little relevance.</p><p> </p><p>He was running for his life, throwing his body like a rag doll, trying to hide behind any surface he could find more than he was trying to attack at this point. He was on the losing side of the game, adrenaline pumping through his veins. There was no saving him. Even Derek was just smirking at him when they crossed path and was definitely not helping. What an ass.</p><p>It didn't take very long before Stiles was half crying half laughing, but one hundred percent battered and bruised, sprawled dead on the dusty dirt in the middle of the field. Derek walked slowly to him, and hovered as if acting out a scene in a movie. He was ridiculous ; Stiles couldn't help but laugh as he looked up at him. Stiles was still sprawled there on the ground, but they both aimed at the same time. Stiles wasn't going to die without a fight. Stiles smiled his brightest smile and added an ostentatious wink just for show. Derek's face as he shot the last killing shot was entirely too pleased.</p><p>It hurt like hell.</p><p>Derek leaned down to grab Stiles' arm and pulled him up to his feet, before giving him a surprising half-hug, their face masks bumping against one another. Stiles’ heart was beating a mile a minute against his chest. Adrenaline and pain were definitely to blame for this. Nothing more. Not the feel of Derek's strong figure against him, not the feel of his hand patting Stiles' back softer than it should have felt.</p><p> </p><p>The early evening sun was slowly setting on the fields. The amber light hit Derek's cheekbones, reflected on his eyelashes. Some mysterious softness was stored there, on Derek's face. Stiles could only stare, unclear feelings to reflect upon here of which he wasn't quite aware.</p><p>They walked back to the main entrance to find Allison, Isaac and Scott in the middle of a three-way kiss. It was messy. It was sloppy, all tongue and weird angles that really shouldn't be working. Stiles narrowed his eyes at the sight, how could they even know whose tongue was in whose mouth ? They were giggling like school girls so it couldn't be that bad, definitely not as bad as it looked.</p><p> </p><p>That had been one of the most fun dates Stiles had ever been on. He didn't have that many experiences to compare it to and this wasn't even his date but it still counted.</p><p>Derek was sporting a genuine little smile, like this was his new resting face instead of the scowl of the early days.</p><p>The three were giddy and clearly on the way to being in love with each other, all three of them. Stiles found it absolutely incredible to watch. Being in love with one person seemed like such an accomplishment already, loving and trusting and giving some part of you for the other to keep safe, but giving that to two people ? Only these three could make it seem so effortless, only these three could possibly make Stiles rethink his whole views on the click. The click had been so right this time, without Scott's double click this wouldn't have happened and that would have been a shame.</p><p> </p><p>They were on the way out, when a staff guy, who had a weird mohawk haircut that Stiles found ridiculous, fake coughed a mean little "Freaks !"</p><p>They all turned to look in the direction of the guy pretending to be busy reorganizing the equipment for sale. Oh no, fury was about to overtake Stiles. He could feel his anger over-flooding his blood flow. He forced himself to stay still, ball his fists by his side and rein in his indignation. It wouldn't take a lot for him to let go of all of it, but for now he could still control it.</p><p>Derek was on the guy in two big strides, grabbing him by the collar and pushing him against a wall. "What did you just say ?" He snarled.</p><p> </p><p>"Derek, let it go." Isaac said calmly.</p><p> </p><p>Ugly-Haircut guy wasn't exactly backing down, it wasn't going to be pretty if any of them was to throw the first punch.</p><p> </p><p>"Derek, let's just go." Stiles called out.</p><p>"Nobody is allowed to say something like that about my family." Derek bit out, eyes transfixed on the paintball employee who might be starting to shake, just a tiny bit now.</p><p> </p><p>"What are you gonna do about it, glare at me all day ?" The guy drawled, both eyebrows raised. Derek, not surprisingly, glared in response.</p><p> </p><p>"Derek," Allison went to his side and touched his arm softly, just enough for him to let go of his death grip on the guy's shirt, and turn to look at her.</p><p> </p><p>Derek took a step back, and sighed loudly. Allison smiled a sweet little angelic smile that she had sometimes, the one who would make people give her the whole world if only she asked. In a blink, the smile turned wicked as she stepped right where Derek had been and kneed the guy in the balls, making him double over with a loud curse.</p><p> </p><p>"Everything's fine now boys. Let's go." Allison turned around as if nothing had happened.</p><p> </p><p>Scott and Isaac were utterly speechless. A loud burst of laughter escaped out of Stiles. He tried to cover it with his hand but there was no use. He was still laughing as they reached the car and heard the manager yell at his employee to go back to work.</p><p> </p><p>Derek looked stunned. Incredibly beautiful at the moment in the bright sun rays streaming through his hair like a halo. He was looking right at Stiles for some reason. Someone so attractive shouldn't be allowed in Stiles' presence. Not when Stiles' mind was an energetic labyrinth of emotions, a constant flow, and Stiles' heart had been instilled with the extraordinary ability to feel. Feel so much. Too much.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles was definitely not going to fall for this guy. He refused categorically.</p><p> </p><p>Still, he knew his face was red with how hard he was blushing.</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>If Stiles hoped to forget about StilinsKlick, he was sorely mistaken. It was everywhere on the newsstands. "Singer Theo Raeken takes legal action against StilinsKlick."</p><p> </p><p>"What now ?" Stiles muttered pulling up his phone to see if he had some e-mails waiting for him.</p><p> </p><p>He didn't. It couldn't be too bad. Stiles quickly typed his search in surely enough the internet was blowing up.</p><p> </p><p>"Hip-Hop singer Theo Raeken has Klicked on his nemesis, singer-song writer Liam Dunbar. The stars have aligned for these two. While being famous for numerous twitter feuds, the two singers had never actually met in person before the StilinsKlick event last Sunday. All we know from twitter is that they hate each other's music and personalities, Raeken having referred to Dunbar as an idiotic moron on several occasions. Although Raeken is trying to deny the Klick and take legal action against the company, FanCrush can predict right now that this is going to turn into an Enemies to Lovers story in no time at all and we're definitely here for it."</p><p> </p><p>"Jesus." Stiles shook his head.</p><p> </p><p>He typed a quick text to Gary to ask if this story had any grounds at all to get them to court. He didn't care all that much either way, but he needed to pretend to be the boss from time to time. Gary quickly replied with "no" and nothing else. Trust Gary to go straight to the point.</p><p> </p><p>At the same moment, he received a text from Lydia. He only now realized, seeing her name pop up on the screen, that it had been a while since he had reached out to her. Since that night at the club, a few weeks, no <em>months </em>ago now. Wow, time flies.</p><p>She always knew to make an appearance on the bullshit days, that was one of her many skills.</p><p>She was asking him to meet up for drinks after work. That sounded really good right now. He would meet up with the girl squad and rant the whole night about clicks and soul mates and how everybody should abhor them like the bullshit they were. He had always had a fiery rant ready to fly out of him, powerful and convincing, perfect when he had been a free will advocate in college. He could feel the old passion of his rhetoric bursting at the seams of his being.</p><p>He couldn't do that at home anymore. Not that he ever had been able to rant freely about the topic, even before the whole double-click love story. Scott had never been anti-click, he always had a romantic view on things. His mother had never clicked on anyone. She had tried to make a marriage work but to no avail. Maybe that was why.</p><p>Maybe Scott had kept the idea that if his mom and dad had been soulmates, then everything in his life would have been fairy dust and cotton candy. Scott had always been and would probably always stay a little gullible like that. Trusting and optimistic.</p><p>Everything Stiles wasn't.</p><p>Ranting with the girls would feel good, Stiles was sure, like pressing reset and getting back on track.</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>"How are you dealing with Scott's soulmates then ? That must be a real pain for you." Malia started as soon as they were seated with a nice cool beer in their hands.</p><p>"That's a change to say the least. Gotta learn to share, I guess." Stiles said.</p><p>"Aww you're losing your best friend to the click devils ?" Lydia smirked, tossing her perfect strawberry blond hair back over her shoulder. Her compassion so fake, Stiles rolled his eyes.</p><p>"Not quite."</p><p> </p><p>Stiles couldn't lie. This morning he thought he would have that rant ready to go, but he had lost his edge somehow. He couldn't say he hated everything about what was happening. He quite enjoyed it if he was being truthful. He quite liked having all this extended group of people. Aside from the ever nightmarish Zumba music on Tuesdays, the gym guys were in fact more than okay.</p><p>The girl squad had never been like that, they were great but it felt business-like sometimes. It was mostly a friendship based on their mutual hatred of society and its expectations. They didn't send each other Christmas postcards or anything.</p><p>He couldn't count on any of them to pull a blanket over him if he fell asleep on the couch during Movie Night. He wasn't even sure who did it at this point. It had happened a few times. He had woken up in the early hours of the morning when the light had started to sneak in from under the living room curtains, everybody had left without making any noise as to not disturb him, and he had been just there lying on the couch all warm and comfortable, without any idea of how he had gotten there. It had felt a little bizarre but still sweet. Like he had been cared for, like he mattered.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh, Stiles." Kira smiled, as if already apologizing for something she knew would come his way.</p><p>"We saw you in the street the other day. We called out to you but you didn't hear us." Malia said, raising her eyebrows at him.</p><p>"What ? When ?" Stiles asked, face carefully controlled. That didn't sound good, but maybe he had just been running late to get to the bookstore or something innocent like that. Shit. Why was his mind supplying him with the idea that some other things weren't so innocent ? He had done nothing wrong. There was nothing not innocent going on in his life right now. He was a monk. And even then, the girl squad was all for sexual empowerment so what if he had been fucking his way through the whole town, that wouldn't matter.</p><p>"You were walking out of that Thai place you like." Lydia leaned back against the faux leather of the booth, her body loose-limbed and relaxed. Everything about her deceptively casual, except the intensity in her gaze as she looked straight at him.</p><p>"Oh." Stiles breathed out, averting his eyes, embarrassed.</p><p> </p><p>Yeah, that might have been a little compromising. They had gone out all five of them again. The night had gone perfectly smoothly, just good food and good company. As they were walking out Stiles had been ranting about how the latest installments of the Star Wars franchise would never have the same impact as the original trilogies. What brought it on ? Stiles wasn't exactly sure but his mind got there somehow and that was all there was to it. Derek's lips were twitching while he listened to him, like he had something to say but wouldn't cut Stiles in the middle of a sentence and that said sentence didn't seem to ever end because of course there was no time for verbal punctuation in what Stiles had to say. Why was Stiles ranting to Derek, walking and staying right into Derek's space, more than he was ranting to the other three ? Stiles couldn't really explain it, except for the fact that Scott had heard his fair share of Star Wars rants over the years and Scott had always refused to watch the damn thing anyway.</p><p> </p><p>"Have you clicked ? Because that would explain a lot of things." Lydia tilted her head.</p><p>"What ?" Stiles' frantic thoughts skipped a beat.</p><p>"You wouldn't have kept that super hot boyfriend of yours a secret unless you had something to hide." Malia shrugged.</p><p>"Are they turning you into a fanatic with all their lovey-dovey puke worthy Xs and Os ?" Lydia pursed her lips.</p><p>She was too smart for Stiles' own good.</p><p>"What is this ? Some kind of intervention ? I'm still me." He shook his head, gesturing vigorously to the three girls in front of him.</p><p>"Are you ? The click changes people."</p><p>"I haven't clicked." Stiles said firmly.</p><p> </p><p>Something felt off in his heart. He couldn't exactly say he hadn't changed. He had always thought the same thing, that the click, that weird neuronal connection in the brain, was unwanted, that it changed people. But Scott hadn't changed, he was still the same goody two shoes kid he had ever been, except now all his goody two shoes ways were balanced by a sweetly badass Allison and a sassy loyal Isaac. Scott wasn't less, wasn't changed. If anything it was more.</p><p>More people, more trust, more family.</p><p> </p><p>"I don't have a boyfriend. I'm not looking for my soulmate." was what tumbled out of his mouth next. An automatic statement, a truth still, but something unfelt, as his brain worked to process everything he was actually feeling. "I still haven't showed my face to any StilinsKlick event, nor do I ever intend to. My firm belief in all the bullshit is still as strong as ever. No need to worry about me. And no, I'm gonna repeat it, <em>no </em>. Derek is not my boyfriend. He's just Isaac's brother."</p><p>"Girls, I think the girl squad has lost its only male member." Malia shrugged as if all the words he said were meaningless. "Too bad, you were our mascot. We'll have to find another one."</p><p>Kira smiled awkwardly. "Sorry, Stiles."</p><p>"Did you guys invite me to make me feel shitty about myself ?" Stiles narrowed his eyes, before taking a swig of his beer to try to focus on something other than his racing heartbeat.</p><p>"Well, that's what you get when you fraternize with the enemy."</p><p>"I find your lack of faith in me disturbing." Stiles concluded.</p><p> </p><p>The whole night left a bitter taste in Stiles' mouth. It unsettled something unpleasant in his gut and it wasn't just because of the cheap beer he drank too quickly.</p><p> </p><p>He didn't even have the heart to go and join Scott on the couch to play video games when he got home. He just went to his room and locked it behind him. He looked at the ceiling for an indeterminate period of time, anxiety twisting around his lungs.</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>Stiles couldn't shake the sick feeling in his stomach for days. He didn't say anything to Scott about his night out with the girls. He just said it was fine and pointedly ignored Scott's concerned look when he didn't say anything more about it.</p><p>The truth was that the girls were right in some sense. The whole click thing changed people, it had changed Stiles. He couldn't deny it even if he wasn't very comfortable with the idea.</p><p>Stiles hated change, so accepting a change within himself was sort of hard to do. Especially when he hadn't realized it was happening. He hadn't been searching for that change. He knew there had been a time, Stiles would have fought it, fought whatever all of that change could possibly mean for him, for the way he saw life, for the way he lived his life. He couldn't quite grasp why he hadn't fought it, or even why he wasn't fighting it now.</p><p>He had been fine before.</p><p>Only, now it was as if all the feelings he had ever kept hidden were rushing to the surface, cutting sharp and overwhelming. He couldn't seem to calm his heart rabbiting in his chest.</p><p> </p><p>So of course, the day took him by surprise. He hadn't realized it was today. He unlocked his phone in the morning and it was like a hand punched through him and his heart was ripped right out of his chest, like he was eleven all over again.</p><p> </p><p>He turned off his phone and went to the bookstore like this was any other day, and tried to act like he would have had any other day. It was hard fooling everyone. Scott knew but Stiles had made a point of leaving before he woke up in the morning. </p><p>Allison could clearly see something was off and tried to say something a few times during the morning but he just shrugged it off. She didn't push it.</p><p>Stiles busied himself in the back of the store when Isaac came over during his lunch break. He heard Allison tell him that Stiles had been a little off, too quiet today, but she didn't know why.</p><p>Isaac mumbled something about hard days having a way to circle back from time to time. He probably had some of his own.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles caught Isaac looking over to him with a brow peaked in question, but he just shrugged his shoulders innocently and kept doing inventory. He wasn't ready to face it. Not ready just yet.</p><p> </p><p>At the end of the day, Allison was still hovering, not willing to leave him alone. Her shift had ended about thirty minutes ago, but she came and leaned her back against the counter next to him and watched him. She wanted to wait him out.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm fine, Allison. You can go home." He took the few big strides separating them from the door and opened it, inviting her to leave without outwardly kicking her out. He couldn't be more clear though. She sighed audibly but she still left.</p><p> </p><p>As soon as the door closed behind her, Stiles let out the breath he felt like he had been holding all day. The one that got stuck in his lungs when he had opened his eyes and seen the date.</p><p> </p><p>He pulled his phone out of the back pocket of his jeans and unlocked it. And sure he had expected it but nothing ever prepared him for it when the day came. His phone was overflowed with text messages and emails of condolences in remembrance of late Claudia Stilinski, founder of StilinsKlick. Messages upon messages from people Stiles had never met and was fairly certain even his mother had never met, there right in his phone. How did these people have his phone number, how did they get his personal email address ?</p><p>In a very masochistic gesture he opened Safari and looked at what was said on the internet.</p><p>Fuck everything really.</p><p> </p><p>All the anger, frustration and pain bubbling through him, he couldn't breathe with it. He threw all the books and papers from the counter down to the ground in a big loud crash.</p><p>He might have shouted <em>Fuck this </em>but he wasn't sure, he hadn't heard it through the ringing of his pulse in his ears.</p><p>Stiles collapsed down onto the ground, unable to really get any air in his lungs. His hands started to shake. All of it was all too much. He hated all of it so fucking much. Tears pricked his eyes, started to fall down his cheeks.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>There was something about grief. It was easier staying ignored. Except this wasn't middle school anymore. He wasn't home with his dad who would try to make the day as painless as he could, and decisively wouldn't speak about her all day. Instead making Stiles some pancakes for breakfast, trying to take that extra step at being a good dad, but not mentioning her. That had been the deal, so that they wouldn't have to remember how bad it had gotten in the end. So that maybe they would try to remember all the fairy tales and not the atrocious reality of the cold and vast void. That was how they had learned to navigate it, not let it tear them apart or change the very core of their being into something hideous and somber.</p><p> </p><p>How hard to no let the pain get burrowed down inside.</p><p> </p><p>The small bell above the door of the bookstore chimed. Stiles took in a sharp painful breath. Really that was his luck. He quickly rubbed a hand down his face, tried to get himself back to professionalism, as much as he could try to salvage professionalism when a mountain of books had been thrown on the floor. His eyes were certainly red and his cheeks still tear stained, no customer should ever see their bookstore clerk in such a messy state. He wasn't really in the mood to advise anyone on anything.</p><p> </p><p>"Stiles ?" Derek's voice came out hesitant from where he was still in the entry way.</p><p> </p><p>Oh thank God, it wasn't a customer. "Yeah." Stiles breathed out, still sitting on the floor, knees to his chest, hidden behind the check out counter like a frightened animal in pain.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey."</p><p>"I guess the walls are that paper-thin, huh ?" Stiles palmed the back of his neck nervously, looking up at the little concerned crease on Derek's forehead.</p><p>"Yeah, they are." He said gently.</p><p>"I'm okay." Stiles slouched back against the counter.</p><p> </p><p>That was definitely a lie and the man in front of him clearly knew that all too well. Stiles wasn't a great liar or maybe he just didn't put enough soul into the lie to make it even remotely credible, but he was giving Derek an out nonetheless. He was alive and he wasn't bleeding out, no life or death situation, just plain old Stiles and his messed up heart. Derek didn't have to be a savior, not for Stiles.</p><p> </p><p>"What happened ?" Derek came around the counter to sit on the opposite side of him.</p><p>"Nothing. <em>Everything. </em>" Stiles gave him a tight smile.</p><p> </p><p>Derek just waited him out. And something in Stiles seemed to unknot, as if now he might just very well be ready to talk. Stiles let out a long winded breath.</p><p> </p><p>"It's the anniversary of my mom's death today. And to make things all the more enjoyable, I got all the e-mails from the company and the company's partners. I had turned my phone off from the moment I woke up this morning, I shouldn't have turned it back on."</p><p>The tears were coming back and Stiles didn't even have the strength to fight them anymore. "I hate all of it." He mumbled under his breath more to himself than to Derek, as he ran both his hands through his hair and tugged just on the side of too hard. Just to feel something else.</p><p> </p><p>"Come on." Derek said standing back up. "Let's go grab something to eat. That's not a conversation to have on the floor."</p><p>"We could have it on the floor. Or we could not have it." Stiles countered but still stood up to follow him.</p><p>"Yeah but we're having it and I don't want to have it on the floor. Here take this." He said, handing Stiles his leather jacket.</p><p>"I don't -" Stiles wanted to argue again, say he wasn't cold, say that he didn't need it. Except he kind of did need it, he was always chilled to the bone after a breakdown and he didn't have his hoodie today. How Derek knew that was a real mystery. He took the jacket and shrugged it on hugging it tightly against himself. "Thanks."</p><p> </p><p>It smelled good. It smelled like that scent Stiles had come to know as Derek, that one brand of body wash that lingered on him when he came straight from the gym to Stiles' apartment on date night. His heart was fluttering at the thought of Derek rushing out of the shower to get to Stiles' apartment on time. He hated when they started the movie without him. The only time it happened he hadn't said a word but had been so broody they had to start the movie again anyway. Amazing that Stiles kept thinking about it as date night, when he wasn't the one dating, he just lived there.</p><p> </p><p>"Come on," Derek grabbed Stiles by the elbow and didn't let go of him, even as Stiles was locking up the store.</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>"I love this jacket." was the first thing Stiles said since they had left the bookstore and came to sit in a booth at Holly's diner. "It feels warm. It feels lived in."</p><p> </p><p>Stiles ran his fingertips on the worn leather. Each crease and scratch telling a story of their own. He hoped that maybe he would get to know each one of them somehow. One day.</p><p> </p><p>"It's very much lived in." Derek answered, the corners of his lips twitching up in what was almost a smile. "It was my first real purchase with my paycheck when I turned eighteen... Well, the first thing that was just for me and not paying rent or a phone or a car or anything to prove to the social services that I was competent enough." He stopped a second before adding, "To get Isaac."</p><p>"You were eighteen." Stiles frowned, still examining the sleeve of the jacket and how his skin was tingling, the hair on his arm rising to meet the inside of the leather.</p><p>Derek shrugged. "Probably nineteen by the time I had saved enough to buy that jacket."</p><p>"Isaac was..."</p><p>"Fourteen when I got him out. Just couldn't leave him." Derek said simply.</p><p>"Don't tell me you're part of that ever growing species of people clicking on the guy." Stiles felt a sad little smile tug at his lips despite himself.</p><p>"No. Thank God." Derek said, his expression softening.</p><p>"That's his loss I guess." Stiles slumped back against the backrest.</p><p> </p><p>Derek stayed silent, just watching Stiles as he took the time to breathe and calm his internal turmoil of circling thoughts of unfair and sad, and a lot of nonsense all at once. Stiles felt boneless.</p><p> </p><p>"I hated her. My mother." Stiles looked down at his hands, fingers peeking out of the long leather sleeves. "Not really, I loved her, but as far as a kid could hate something. I did." Stiles stopped and looked at Derek then. "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't complain about my dead parent to -"</p><p>"To an orphan ? It's the eternal question, isn't it ? Which is better, having nothing or having something be... not good ? I can't say." He looked at Stiles earnestly. Eyebrows rising in a silent invitation to continue.</p><p>Stiles swallowed thickly. "I loved her but I hated everything. I hated everything about the soulmate bonds. I still hate everything about the company she wanted to build. To make people happy, that's what she kept saying. People, but which people ? She wasn't making us happy. She was making us the complete opposite of happy." Stiles let out a loud sigh, crossing his arms over his chest. "She couldn't help it though. She was sick. The whole thing was a symptom of her psychosis, and her neurotic obsessions. I hated everything about it. About the click too." Stiles looked at some indistinct point over Derek's shoulder, not quite ready to meet his eyes just then. "All I knew was that my mom and dad were soulmates. They had clicked. That whole thing meant everything, no matter how miserable we were. It was the only thing that mattered it seemed. The one reason why things were happening and kept happening and we couldn't do anything." He closed his eyes for a few seconds, Derek didn't move. "My dad admitted to it once, just once, not long after she had passed. He admitted that he had felt something was off with her from the very beginning, years before she became problematic, years before the official diagnosis. He knew from the start and he wouldn't have stayed but they had clicked and that meant he couldn't leave. I don't know if that's true, I don't know if it was just the Whiskey talking. But surely soulmates stay together because they love each other, not because they feel stuck ? What kind of soulmate bond would that be if they all felt stuck in an unhappy life? When things got really bad, he loved her, he had grown to love her and that's why he couldn't leave. But I can't help but wonder at the beginning, before I was born, if he had sensed something so off, so inescapably off, would come of it, surely he wouldn't have let himself fall in love with her. My dad isn't a masochist. He's a good man. He wouldn't have brought a child into it either, not into something so wrong. So unhappy." Stiles bit down on his lower lip and worried it a second, hard enough that it almost got bloody in his mouth. "To me, growing up like this, the whole click thing felt like a fucking trap. Something to force people together and keep them together with the promise of happiness when really nothing was ever guaranteed. Such bullshit. And building a company selling that concept, making people pay to make that their reality. But now it's done, society is like that. If it wasn't StilinsKlick, it'd be another company. <em>Such</em> <em>bullshit</em>."</p><p>"I don't think anything is ever guaranteed. Click or no click. There's a part of Fate, and certainly we can't outrun all of it, but there's also a big part of free will. You still have to live your life with all the choices that entail." Derek murmured, as if to not startle Stiles and the quietness around, when the diner was actually starting to fill up with customers and wasn't that quiet anymore.</p><p>"Yeah, that's what I'm realizing. Because they were my only example of soulmates and surely they weren't the best ones, not even remotely good ones. And if there were choices, they obviously didn't make all the right ones. The thing is, now that I see our three idiots, I can't help but feel like maybe... maybe there is some sense to whole click thing ? Because it seems to work and I want to hope that they are going to find a way to turn this into incredible happiness. I'm so tired of all the bullshit."</p><p>"They're the first for me too. I don't even know about my parents. I have very few memories of them. I was four, so I just have flashes here and there. What I know is that we were all in a car accident and I was the only one to come out of it. I don't remember the crash. I remember being in the car, in my car seat. But I don't know if that's just a memory I put there or if it was really that day. That's all I got. It was before it was required to register as soulmates, so there's no paperwork to tell me anything. I never really gave two shits about the whole concept. Never read anything about it, just knew what we were being told in group homes." Derek huffed out a sad little breath. "And that didn't put it in the best of lights when all you heard was that nobody would click on you because you were trash. It didn't matter to me, the whole thing felt so far from the realm of possibilities. I just wanted to get out of there and get Isaac out of there with me. But now the realm of possibilities is just a brand new idea when I see them together. They make everything seem possible."</p><p>"You think they'll figure it out ?" Stiles asked.</p><p>"I hope so."</p><p> </p><p>The waitress took that opportunity to come put their plates on the table. "Sorry for the wait, boys," She said before adding, "Enjoy your date."</p><p> </p><p>Derek politely thanked her.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles choked. Was that really how they came across to strangers ? As people dating ? Okay maybe Lydia had had a point about Stiles' attitude being just slightly too comfortable around Derek for it to be just friendship on his part but what could possibly be betraying him now ? He was just sitting and he was a big wreck. He wasn't trying to get anywhere with anyone. Hadn't been trying to get into anyone's pants in what seemed like forever. So much time had passed that he wasn't even sure he knew how to do that anymore.</p><p>Was it the strong heart to heart moment vibes around them or the way Derek's eyes seemed to be looking straight into Stiles' soul sometimes ? What was it ? Nothing was clear anymore.</p><p> </p><p>He rubbed at his eyes. "God, imagine if this were a real date and that was what I looked like."</p><p>"You look fine." Derek said with a tight smile.</p><p>"Yeah. Right." Stiles snorted, focusing on his hands picking at each other nervously under the table.</p><p> </p><p>When he finally dared look up and met Derek's eyes, something in there told him that he actually meant it, as if Derek didn't mind having Stiles all puffy and snotty in front of him. That he didn't mind Stiles being nothing but a big mess of emotions.</p><p>Not for the first time, Stiles found himself stilling under the weight and intensity of his gaze.</p><p> </p><p>They ate in relative silence. Stiles was more comfortable focusing on his burger and fries than on anything else at the moment. His hand kept going back to some ache in his right shoulder. He only now realized he must have hit it earlier. There would be a bruise there tomorrow, a nice little reminder of the hassle of a human being he actually was.</p><p> </p><p>Derek went to the checkout counter to pay and met Stiles by the door. Stiles tensed when he felt a hand press against his shoulder blades as they were walking out. He pointedly tried ignoring just how close to him Derek was, their shoulders nearly brushing together.</p><p> </p><p>Derek didn't move his hand away as they walked back towards the gym and Stiles' parked Jeep.</p><p>A sharp quiver ran down Stiles' spine when he realized Derek's clever thumb was actually working some of the knots hidden there.</p><p> </p><p>"What are you doing ?" He breathed out, his voice cracking on the last word as Derek's fingers found a particularly hard spot.</p><p>"It's a trainer's job to know how to work tense muscles." was all Derek said. As if that actually made all the sense in the world. What ? Was Derek unable to stand seeing someone tense without having to put his hands on them ?</p><p>"Oh, but that's not - <em>Oh... </em>" Stiles' thought was cut out by a moan escaping him as Derek's second hand joined in. Thumbs pressing hard points in two parallel lines down Stiles' spine.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles came to a full stop, hands nervously playing with the hem of the jacket, unable to walk with whatever was happening. His car was in view, less than a block away now.</p><p> </p><p>Shit. He didn't know if he wanted to shy away or lean into the touch at this point, all he knew was that it felt good. It felt better than good. Derek's hands were magical. Stiles couldn't even ignore the phantom warmth of each press of his fingers, of his palms, where Derek's body heat was hot enough to seep through the leather. Or maybe Stiles' skin was reacting so much to the feeling of Derek being right there that he was burning up all on his own. All of it was overwhelming.</p><p>His mind seemed to forget they were in the middle of the street and kept circling back to the thought that this would definitely need to be done without all these layers between them, need to be done in a lying position. Preferably naked.</p><p>Yes, Stiles' mind decided firmly, as Derek's thumbs were rubbing little circles in the low of his back. Yes, naked would be really fucking good.</p><p> </p><p>Derek dropped his forehead to Stiles' shoulder and sighed, sighed as if he had been the one getting a free massage right then. His hair left a tingling sensation at the nape of Stiles' neck. If Stiles were to move his face just a couple of inches to the side, he would be able to kiss Derek's hair or maybe even kiss his temple. Maybe, just maybe, Derek would mirror the movement and Stiles would be able to kiss something else, feel the scrape of the stubble on his jaw or feel the softness of his lips. Maybe.</p><p>He was frozen in place though, his whole body shivering from the closeness and the feeling of Derek warm against his back and the question of what all this could possibly mean. Derek's hands moved up again, to Stiles' sides and followed the path of his ribs, before gripping the front of the leather jacket so tightly it turned his knuckles white.</p><p> </p><p>"It'll be alright." Derek breathed against Stiles' shoulder, before brushing his lips there, just the ghost of a kiss, barely noticeable against the material. "Don't worry."</p><p> </p><p>Derek's hand loosened their grips and he finally stepped back. Stiles hadn't moved, hadn't even dared take a single breath.</p><p> </p><p>"Have a good night." Derek said, tone hoarse, as he took another couple of steps back and towards the gym.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles could only blink, dazed, until Derek was finally out of sight. He shook his head in an effort to get back down to Earth.</p><p>What a day this had been. What a roller coaster.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He came home and was greeted by a big collective hug from Scott, Allison and Isaac. They didn't say a word, they just embraced the hell out of him for a long moment. A quick glance meeting Scott's eyes and yes, Stiles was sure he was to blame and thank for this.</p><p>They didn't speak about anything, they decisively did not say a word about the fact that Stiles was still wearing what they surely all recognized as being Derek's leather jacket. Stiles decisively didn't say a word about it either, he also didn't say how comfortable and warm he was in it, and how he'd very much like to keep it, sleep in it, wrapped in Derek's scent.</p><p> </p><p>They sat him down on the couch, fed him his favorite take out food, and put on a Batman movies marathon, starting off with The Dark Knight, and they all snuggled around him on the couch like a big puppy pile of love and care.</p><p> </p><p>At the end of the day, Stiles realized he had everything he needed.</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>The click being anathema to Stiles didn't seem to matter anymore. He obviously would never be going to StilinsKlick events, parties, benefits, weddings or even funerals. Yes, a funeral happened once. Just a fucking freak-show that he had been invited to but to which he had been more than happy to not RSVP positively.</p><p>StilinsKlick would always stay counterculture to Stiles. Just like that one picture of his family that the media liked to parade around. A picture of him with his parents at one of the first StilinsKlick events. His mom had been wearing a beautiful sparkling dress and his dad had made the effort to put on a suit for the occasion. As had Stiles been forced to. The seemingly perfect picture of a perfect family, <em>before disaster struck </em>as the journalists would nicely put it. It could be believe for anyone not looking closely into the details, and not stopping to study young Stiles' eyes which told of a gentle kid who'd rather be at home, reading his comic books or playing video games with his only friend, anywhere but there in that world surrounded by these people.</p><p>No matter what else happened in his life, Stiles would never fill that space that had been expected of him. He'd never give that world the potential to devour him whole and rob him of his truth.</p><p>But the click, as a natural phenomenon, could be okay. It had been more than okay, bringing the three together, bringing the five of them together. Stiles and Derek being adjacent but still, their friendship, or whatever they were, was a result of the click, that big web of electrical connections, in brains, in lives, in the universe. Lives moving and converging, like a big algorithm of feelings.</p><p>Stiles would feel entitled to pull that old hatred out of him and examine it, like he would examine that old handmade sign with which he marched down the streets, and maybe he would put that hatred in a box and bury it deep in the ground. Out of him. Finally.</p><p>He didn't need to spend a couple of years in a monastery on top of a mountain. He didn't need to spiral out of control in order to gain some sense of himself. He quite found a sense of himself right here, not trying to achieve anything, just being.</p><p> </p><p>He could hear Allison humming from upstairs, organizing the books around the little book club nook. He knew the Zumba music would be coming in a about ten minutes or so. He didn't mind it too much anymore. It was a ritual. The bookstore coming alive with it. Stiles coming alive with it too, it seemed.</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>The evening light poured through the windows of Triskele Gym. It was the best hours of the day, when the sun was setting low on the horizon of the perpendicular street. Liquid golden light flowing on the floor, only darkened by the shadows of the indoor bikes set next to the entrance.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles had finally decided to come give Derek his jacket back. It had been days. It wasn't like Stiles was wearing it or anything and Derek might very well be missing his jacket but for some reason he hadn't asked for it back yet. Even the other night when he came over to watch The Notebook (Allison's choice. They all secretly loved it, but no one was going to say that, Allison knew it all too well already) Stiles thought Derek might mention it on the way out but he hadn't. He just gave his little smile and said, "see you tomorrow ?" turning it into a question like it wasn't a given that Stiles would find a way to see him in the morning.</p><p>So yes, Stiles had kept the jacket for a little longer than he probably should have. He had hidden it in his bedroom. He hadn't slept in it. He wasn't a creep. He might have slept with it though. That was also a little creepy, Stiles was aware. He might have cuddled with it a little, as if he was still a baby and the jacket was a security blanket. The thing was that the jacket smelled really good, like comfort and peace and Stiles craved that feeling. He wanted his skin soaked in it, especially when he was trying to fall asleep.</p><p>But now, he was ready to give it back. The jacket started to smell a little more like Stiles than it did Derek. He couldn't steal it forever, that wouldn't feel right. It was more than time to give it back to its rightful owner.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles peeked inside. It was a little late for it to be still unlocked.</p><p> </p><p>Derek had taken a seat in the resting area where the small coffee table and machine were set for breaks between workouts.</p><p>He had a mass of papers in front of him and was wearing his glasses. That wasn't a good sign. Derek only wore his glasses at the movies, never for anything else, not even watching TV. Wearing them now meant he had to focus or had been focused on the task at hand for a long time that his head started hurting.</p><p>"You know what would look great here ? A tufted leather wing-back chair. That would really boost the look of this place." Stiles said, barging in. He hoped to get Derek to focus on anything but the jacket in Stiles' hand, but the older man hadn't even glanced his way. Like Stiles walking in the gym at any hour of the day wasn't a surprise anymore, as if he was even expected to come in and speak too loudly for the quietness around. Stiles stopped midway through the room. "What's wrong Derek ?"</p><p>"Nothing." Derek didn't look up from the paperwork in front of him.</p><p>"Come on, not to me." He said, casually dropping the jacket on one of the chairs in between them. Derek's eyes quickly tracked the movement but he didn't mention it. It was just as well.</p><p>Derek sighed, pressing the heel of his hand to his temple, "I'm budgeting. We're not making enough. Not quite enough."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"It's not as bad as it sounds. Please, don't tell Isaac ?" It came out as a question as finally looked up, a frown creasing his forehead.</p><p>Stiles took a seat on one of the other chairs in the break area. His lips curling down in a slight frown as he said, "No, of course. My lips are sealed. What's going on ?"</p><p>"I had planned for the first few months to not meet the criteria." Derek grabbed for a paper and looked it over again, eyes clearly roaming over it with all the knowledge of what was written on there and not stopping on anything in particular.</p><p>"Of course, have the time to get the word out that you're kinda cool." Stiles shrugged.</p><p>"Yeah. Well, apparently we're not that cool." Derek sighed. "I need to find a way to get more members or we're going to have a problem with the bank or with the landlord."</p><p>Stiles bit down on his lower lip a second. "I could force StilinsKlick to buy memberships for all the employees if that's the only problem."</p><p>"For people who would never show up to the gym ?" Derek snorted.</p><p>"All the money perks but none of the actual work. Sounds good to me." Stiles said with a mischievous grin.</p><p>Derek huffed. "You're ridiculous."</p><p>Stiles perked up like he had an idea, even knowing it was probably a terrible one, or at the very least one that was bound to be shut down immediately by the man in front of him. He couldn't not say it out loud, though. "I could buy the building."</p><p>"<em>Stiles.</em>"</p><p>"Wait, I could." Stiles shook his head. "I actually could do that, and you wouldn't have to pay any rent."</p><p>"No." Derek bit out, chest heaving.</p><p>"Why not ?" Stiles threw his arms up.</p><p>"I shouldn't have said anything." Derek sighed, rubbing a hand down his face, defeated.</p><p>"God, Derek, this isn't charity. It wasn't charity months ago when I gave my credit card at the bowling alley and this isn't charity either. I know how charity feels, I know what it's like to sign a check for any kind of organization in need. It doesn't feel like anything to me. It's not like I get a thrill and feel like a better person for it. It's just money. I don't need it, they do so they should have it. That's just how the world should work. That doesn't make me feel anything. All I know is that I've never been as thankful for this money as the day I paid for Scott's full tuition. So Melissa didn't have to worry about working double or triple, so Scott didn't have to worry about a scholarship or about finding a job just to make do, so I could have my best friend and not be alone. Maybe it's egocentric, maybe it's selfish, maybe I'm an asshole. I'm definitely an asshole, but I don't really care."</p><p>"But that's Scott." Derek countered.</p><p>"And this is Isaac and you. What happens in six months' time if things aren't moving fast enough ? You sell all the equipment, you try to pay off the loan as best as you can and then what ?"</p><p> </p><p>Derek shrugged, expression closed off. He probably had no idea of what would happen then. They lived above the gym for Christ's sake. That was their home, they would have nothing. No one should expect Stiles to sit there and do nothing when the lives of people he cared about was in the balance. No one should ask that of him. </p><p> </p><p>"The building is not for sale."</p><p>"Oh, let me put my arrogant millionaire hat on and tell you that almost everything is for sale." Stiles smirked, unashamed. The fact that he hated the idea daily didn't make it any less true, and being able to use it to his advantage in times like these was the only salvation he found to capitalism. "Could you at least think about it ? If it's because you'd feel like a freeloader no matter how many times I say that you aren't, you could pay rent. But, you know, just enough for the time being. And then rise up to market level when the gym will be ready. And if you insist you could even pay me back the difference in rent from that period too. All I'm saying is that you deserve to catch a break, man. Could you think about it? For me?"</p><p> </p><p>Derek stayed silent a long moment before letting out a long sigh. "You want a beer ?"</p><p>Stiles was a little taken aback by the offer. "Sure."</p><p> </p><p>He watched as Derek went to the mini fridge hidden under the desk in the office and came back with two cool beers.</p><p> </p><p>"Is that what you drink between cardio classes ? What about the cool drinks I prepare for you guys ?" Stiles bit his lip. He wasn't sure the mood was back at teasing just yet.</p><p>Derek stayed silent but his expression had softened. That was exactly what Stiles wanted to see. He wanted to kiss all the worry away.</p><p>They drank in silence, sitting on different plastic chairs in the empty gym.</p><p> </p><p>Derek started speaking in a low murmur. "<em>But I, being poor, have only my dreams / I have spread my dreams under your feet / Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. </em>"</p><p>Stiles frowned. Derek had spoken so softly, he wasn't certain he had been meant to hear it. The words felt familiar, resonating through him like something nostalgic and dear.</p><p>"Wait a minute." Stiles leaned closer, threading the fingers of both his hands around his beer bottle as he rested it between his knees, the condensation leaving a wet stain on his jeans. "Poetry ?"</p><p>Derek's eyebrows shot up, a smug little smirk tugging at his lips.</p><p>"That's disgusting," Stiles shook his head slowly, disbelieving. "Yeats ? That's not allowed, Derek, you can't have brains and brawn. How are us poor mortals supposed to deal ?"</p><p>"Was that a compliment ?" Derek feigned seriousness, his knee playfully bumping against Stiles'.</p><p>"Trust me, I can hardly believe it myself." He marveled, a small smile tugging at his lips.</p><p> </p><p>Derek dipped his chin to his chest before looking up at Stiles from under his eyelashes. Shit. That man would be the death of Stiles. Derek under all of his pretenses was the kind of lovely that rustled the energies within. Stiles caught his breath.</p><p> </p><p>"Was that a yes ?" Stiles couldn't help but ask.</p><p>"That was maybe."</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>It was Tuesday afternoon again. The hot days were upon them and surely enough, Little Bobby wasn't showing up for book club anymore preferring to spend his time outside. The same went for Mrs Altman and basically all of the book club participants. Even Stiles had to admit that he actually hadn't done much of the reading these past few weeks and mostly relied on his knowledge of the author and a long study of sparksnotes. It wasn't like he was actually trying to teach anything to anyone, he was just enjoying talking about cool stories. The thing was that he had so many things going on these days. So many people in his life. And people, man, people took time.</p><p>Scott had just gotten there because book club hour was usually a break time for Allison. When he was able to get out of work early, Scott was more than happy to come to the bookstore to help. Helping mostly consisted in letting himself be pulled to the back of the store where she could go and kiss him for the best of an hour.</p><p>Thanks to the Zumba music, Stiles had never actually had to hear if anything other than kissing was going on downstairs. Bless Zumba.</p><p>But not today. Stiles found himself with Allison and Scott on Tuesday afternoon. Nobody from book club actually showed up. Not one of them. What an outrage. It was ten past five and no one was in sight.</p><p>"Well, I guess book club is cancelled for the day." Stiles shrugged.</p><p>"I know what we should do." Allison smiled, all dimples and mischief.</p><p>"Oh no." Stiles muttered.</p><p>"Dude, yes !" Scott exclaimed.</p><p> </p><p>Zumba class at started about fifteen minutes ago. They weren't even signed up, not in workout clothes. Did any of them care when they ran into the side room of the gym ? Nope. They were winging it.</p><p>Isaac was busy doing a private session with someone when they came in. He glanced up, eyebrows raised. A large grin split his face the moment he understood what was going on.</p><p>Allison and Scott were dragging Stiles who was still more or less willing to join. Did he really need to do that ? Did he really need to embarrass himself that way?</p><p>Derek was on the other side of the room in front of the wall of mirrors and his eyes caught sight of them. Except for a questioning tilt of the head and small twitch of his lips, nothing changed in his demeanor.</p><p>God, he was hot in his workout clothes, black tank top tightly underlining the muscles of his back and shoulders. The room was filled by a large group consisting of, well, mostly women wearing bright neon colors who seemed to be having the time of their lives. Music was blasting from the sound system speakers, and Allison jumped in with the choreography like it was something she did every week.</p><p>Isaac showed up, peeking his head from the doorway with a slight smirk on his lips. "You scared boys ?"</p><p>Scott beamed at his boyfriend, "Never." he said before running to where Allison was already clapping to the rhythm and started mimicking Derek's dance moves.</p><p>Okay, clapping, clapping and then three big steps back and then clapping again. Moving the shoulders. Okay that was a thing Stiles could do. Okay, but oh no, <em>oh</em> <em>no.</em> Derek was pushing his hips from side to side. His sweatpants was clinging in all the right ways. Stiles always knew Derek to be really well defined in the ass department but on any given day, he was able to look passed it. Not today no. Not when Derek was just right there, and his ass was doing these things. Stiles somehow heard something about a Salsa travel, Allison was all over the choreography and Scott wasn't too far behind. Stiles of course was a big mess of flailing arms and body parts. But how was Stiles supposed to concentrate on anything but Derek's body moving this way?</p><p> </p><p>Stiles tried his best, that was all he could say to defend himself. He moved as if in a haze. His eyes transfixed on Derek's movements, the sweat starting to shine on his back, the damp hair at the nape of his neck, the all-business controlled expression on Derek's face that Stiles couldn't help but stare at in the mirror in front of them. And the slight flush, Stiles could swear he saw move across Derek's cheeks when their eyes met just for a few seconds too long. God, he was edible.</p><p>Stiles stumbled from time to time because well, he wasn't much of a dancer. He could very well improvise at the club but follow actual steps, not so much. Nothing comparable to Derek and the smooth motions of his hips moving and the graceful stretches of his long arms.</p><p> </p><p>When the music stopped, Stiles could barely breathe anymore. He was probably tomato red and wet from sweat. He was almost certain he actually heard some cracks coming from the seams of his pants. He'd definitely need workout clothes if this was to become a regular occurrence. Stiles couldn't even believe the thought in his head. He was definitely drunk on endorphins.</p><p> </p><p>Derek was stopped in his tracks on his way to them by the sea of lingering groupies he seemed to have in his class.</p><p> </p><p>With reasons, so many reasons, Stiles thought. No wonder this was the most successful class of the whole gym schedule. They all had a blast. Derek seemed to come alive in a brand new way that Stiles really wished he could see more often. He seemed relaxed and easygoing, almost ready to give his little smiles away like they were free currency. Stiles could almost feel jealous. His only saving grace was that Derek kept glancing back at him, with that little twitch of lips that Stiles knew for a fact was there just for him.</p><p> </p><p>"Still alive ?" Derek asked smugly as soon as the crowd had dispersed.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles waved his hand in the air vaguely, still catching his breath.</p><p> </p><p>"That bad, huh ?" Derek snorted.</p><p>"Nah. Could have been a lot worse." Stiles smiled as he looked up through his eyelashes at him.</p><p>"Are you planning on signing up ? Because some of the girls couldn't help but comment on your performance. Consider them impressed."</p><p>"Asshole." Stiles shook his head fondly.</p><p> </p><p>Isaac had just finished with his private training and was all over Scott and Allison. Stiles didn't have to look to know exactly what was going on. It was surely a mix of kisses of some kind.</p><p>Derek walked out to the main room, it felt natural to follow him. Stiles' brain was still programmed into Zumba mode maybe and thought each of Derek's movements were to be followed or mirrored.</p><p>He went to the mini fridge and pull out the jug of the orange and citrus electrolyte drink Stiles had brought in this morning when no one was looking. He was very pleased to see the jug was more than half empty.</p><p> </p><p>Derek arched his eyebrows. "Are you thirsty ? Because you shouldn't drink that now. You're supposed to drink it before working out. Not after."</p><p>"Prick. Of course, I very much intend to drink some of it ! That's my drink, dude !" Stiles huffed as Derek tilted his head. "What ? Do you think the little gym elves are pressing fresh oranges for you in the morning thinking about the health of your muscles or something ?"</p><p> </p><p>Oh that came out wrong. Stiles started blushing a little. No, he wasn't thinking about Derek's muscles when he pressed fresh oranges in the morning. He thought about... well... not Derek's muscles. Derek's health, overall health. And Isaac's too ! Yes as a soulmate's best friend, best friend in law -in bond,- as Isaac's best friend in bond, Stiles had all the legitimacy in the world to want to keep everyone healthy and hydrated during the day. That was totally a thing. Just take the drink away, Derek, damn it.</p><p> </p><p>"Don't hurt yourself overthinking what you just said." Derek let out a short little laugh. Oh God, Stiles was getting really hot in the face. "That drink is my favorite of all the recipes you tried out." he added softly.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles bit his lip. "Okay."</p><p> </p><p>Stiles made mental note of that, and also took the little thank you hidden in between the lines in there somewhere. He quickly glanced around to see if the others were in sight before leaning a little closer.</p><p> </p><p>"About the building. I got my guy, Gary, looking into it. If you're still -" Stiles trailed off.</p><p>"Yeah." Derek nodded.</p><p>"Okay. It'll be alright. Don't worry." Stiles said kindly. "And I am not worried. I didn't have any doubts before, but seeing this today..." he gestured to the side room. "You have a fanbase. That's gold."</p><p>"That's just Zumba class." Derek countered with that little hint of self deprecation that he had sometimes.</p><p>"Then do more Zumba !" Stiles shrugged.</p><p>"You'd kill me if I were to do more Zumba."</p><p>"I..." Stiles stared at him, mouth agape. He couldn't say out loud that he wouldn't mind without giving himself away, could he ? Shit. "You do, what you gotta do, man."</p><p>Derek stayed silent a minute, just looking at him. "Yeah." He said. Stiles got the sense that he wasn't exactly talking about Zumba class anymore.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles' stomach was fluttering. His whole body filled with nothing but the buzz of his too full heart. What was it about Derek Hale? </p><p> </p><p>Allison, Isaac and Scott joined them, definitely giddy from kisses, and they all sat down a moment in the break area. Just giving the quiet peace the freedom to thrive.</p><p>Just a simple moment, one to keep hidden in a box under the bed and take out on rough days when all the rest would feel meaningless. Stiles had had his fair share of long sleepless nights with nothing but loneliness and hard memories of an aching past swallowing him whole, but today, right now, on days like this he couldn't quite remember exactly how that pain felt like. He let himself be enveloped by this welcomed feeling of warmth and golden light and Derek's kind eyes focused on him. Stiles might not even want to put this feeling in a box, he might want to keep it on his shelf out in the open, or even in his pocket and carry it with him. Always.</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>"Here !" Derek tossed him something as Stiles was about to lock the bookstore one evening.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles flailed a little but caught it. He narrowed his eyes at the thing in his hand. It was a carbon steel batman key chain. It was a multi tool kind of thing with a bottle opener in the middle of the bat and screwdrivers on each side. Attached to it was a key.</p><p> </p><p>"What is this ?" Stiles looked up at Derek, narrowing his eyes against the evening sunlight.</p><p>"It's a key to the gym." Derek ducked his head before looking back up.</p><p>"Oh, I usually steal keys and make illegal copies when I think they're something I might need, but dude, I don't need this, I don't own the building yet." Stiles smirked.</p><p>"It's for when we're closed." Derek said, serious all of a sudden.</p><p>"In case I have an urgent need to workout in the middle of the night ?" Stiles huffed out a short laugh. "I think I'm good."</p><p>"It's just that the cell reception upstairs isn't great."</p><p>"Upstairs, as in where you -" Stiles tilted his head with a frown.</p><p> </p><p>Why would Derek give him the key to his place. Alright, it wasn't a place per se, it was more of the adjoining floor to the gym. Just a room where they slept and nothing more. Everything else happened in the gym itself. But, still...</p><p> </p><p>"In case you need anything." He said. His eyes were telling a different story. They were bright and focused and they told of something stronger than just a key to use in case of an emergency.</p><p>"Derek, that's a key to your..." Stiles trailed off with a frown, looking back down at the adorable key chain. "There's something wrong with the symbolism of it."</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly Derek was in his space, a hand brushing underneath his plaid shirt and fingers twisting softly at the cotton material of his t-shirt just against the side of his ribs where his heart was.</p><p> </p><p>"Is there ?" Derek murmured, his face just mere inches away from Stiles'.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles licked his lips, his eyes flicking down to Derek's mouth. He could barely breathe with how much we wanted to cross that distance. His whole body was vibrating with the need of it. Maybe everything that had happened had led up to this moment. Maybe it was how it was supposed to go. Maybe he could finally admit to himself that he had imagined how it could go. Imagined it once, twice and even more, countless of times. Countless of scenarios. Maybe that was what Stiles had always wanted and would ever want.</p><p> </p><p>"Stiles," Derek breathed out, his tone as broken and needy as Stiles felt.</p><p> </p><p>A short little whimper escaped Stiles' throat as he felt Derek move closer. But it was too much, no, Stiles couldn't do that. It felt like he would burst. Like his heartbeat would drive him mad, spilling out his feelings into a scary universe. Like Derek without knowing, without even meaning it, had peeled Stiles apart, one layer after the other, until Stiles was left raw and naked standing there in street.</p><p> </p><p>Too much.</p><p> </p><p>"Don't," He said weakly.</p><p> </p><p>He barely moved away, just a twitch, he couldn't manage anything more than that. His whole body fighting against his mind, against this unknown thing that was preventing him from going for it body and soul. Stiles shut his eyes tightly, his mouth still half open from his poor attempt at composure. He almost prayed that Derek wouldn't listen to him, wouldn't obey, would just fucking kiss him already. So that Stiles would stop fighting himself on this.</p><p>But Derek was clearly too much of a gentleman and in a second all that warmth that had been overflowing Stiles was gone and replaced with the cold evening air.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles opened his eyes then, searching for Derek's face. His expression was unreadable. Stiles pursed his lips, couldn't really manage an awkward smile, let alone say the words his mind was unable to form. He just opened his hand, the indentations from the batman key chain were red on his skin from where he had been clutching it too hard, like a life line. His eyes darted down to it and back up to Derek's gaze. He didn't want to give it back but he couldn't possibly keep it.</p><p> </p><p>"Keep it." Derek said shortly, with a guarded look that couldn't keep away the confusion and hurt he was clearly feeling. His tone was as neutral as it could ever be in such circumstances, as he took a step back then another one.</p><p> </p><p>Then he was gone. A cold gust of wind blew into Stiles’ face. He shifted his feet and let his shoulders fall, looking to the ground in the empty street.</p><p> </p><p>Shit. This felt wrong. His gut did an unpleasant flip like turning over a pancake too early and having batter splash all over. All he could feel was his heart beating abnormally fast. Something in him felt like acid stinging. Something breaking and screaming. All the peace destroyed and crushed into cosmic dust.</p><p> </p><p>He went home in a daze. All of it was just a daze.</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>Bundled up on the couch, the lights turned off, staring at the shadows creeping on the ceiling, on the wall. Why was it that Stiles still felt like he needed to pretend to be someone else even when he was all alone in the dark ?</p><p>His mind stuck in a whirlwind of desires and fears, and Derek. The feel of his body pressed against him, these mesmerizing little twitches of his lips when Derek couldn't keep the smile in, the way his eyes lit up sometimes when Stiles caught his gaze. Just all of what was Derek.</p><p>Maybe that was what falling in love with someone felt like. Tiny things. Tiny smiles, tiny words. Tiny things coming together. Tiny and yet still so so big. The biggest surrender of someone's heart to another.</p><p> </p><p>"Scotty." Stiles called out when Scott came home from an emergency at the vet's clinic.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles hadn't talked to him about any of it at dinner but now, now in the middle of the night, after having left his thoughts wander to their own devices for hours on end, now, now he needed his best friend.</p><p> </p><p>"What's wrong ?"</p><p>"I messed up. I messed up, Scotty." Stiles murmured, the words fighting him on their way out. "I thought. I thought it wouldn't matter to me. I thought it would be just as well if I never. If I never. But this. This isn't good either."</p><p>"What are you talking about ?" Scott asked gently, but clearly confused as he came to sit down next to him on the couch.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles just turned to look at him, tears ready to spill out. He just wished Scott would get with the program already. This was already so fucking hard.</p><p> </p><p>"Is this about Derek ?" Scott raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, I noticed. I think he feels it too."</p><p> </p><p>Good to know that Scott wasn't completely oblivious, not completely engulfed in his own spectacular love story. But how was that helping ? It wasn't helping.</p><p> </p><p>"But I can't do that. I can't even believe I'm saying this. Me ! Lydia and the girl squad were right to be ashamed of me." Stiles shook his head. "But I can't do that. Not when there's something missing. The problem is I don't feel like there's anything missing, but I know that there is. That makes all the difference between the theory and actual feelings. I couldn't do that. I couldn't let myself." He tried to swallow around the tightness in his throat, took a shaky breath. "Not when he's not mine. And I'm not his."</p><p>Fuck, saying it out loud hurt more than Stiles had expected. He let out a sad little huff. "I mean I know the theory. I force-fed you the theory for years. How many times did I say that the click took away something, took away the thrill of the questioning, not being sure that the other liked you or not, figuring shit out by yourself ? I know not everybody has the opportunity to click and that doesn't make feelings any less real."</p><p>"You're allowed to fall in love, Stiles. You're allowed to be happy." Scott said in his softest voice.</p><p>"Yeah, except. Except, no matter how much I'd try, no matter how real it feels, it would make this feel temporary... and I'm kind of hoping for forever. What if either of us clicked on someone else, in a month or a year or a decade. What would that do ? Would we be heartbroken, would we feel stuck ?"</p><p>The thought alone broke something in him. He couldn't do that. He couldn't go there.</p><p>"<em>Stiles.</em>" Scott's face fell. He knew all too well where Stiles' mind was going. It wasn't pretty.</p><p>"If you told me this five months ago, I would never have believed it. I would have said fuck the click, fuck society and the bullshit. Let's fall in love, let's fuck, let's just live day by day and surf on the wave of the unknown. And now, all I can think about is that I wouldn't want to be the one to take the chance away from him. He deserves to find that one person. He's a wonderful man underneath of that leather. He deserves all the good things." Stiles sighed.</p><p>"He seems to think you're one of these good things. And I'm not the one to argue with that." Scott said, a concern crinkle at the center of his forehead.</p><p>Stiles huffed. "You're such a sap."</p><p>"I think you should talk to him."</p><p>"And say what ? ''Sorry dude, I think I'm falling for you but I'm not your soulmate so this is doomed and will never work'' ?"</p><p>"I don't think it would be right to take the choice away from him." Scott shrugged.</p><p> </p><p>Fuck Scott and his logic. Stiles had honestly hoped Scott would be on his side on this, would tell him was the click meant everything, would tell him all the things Stiles had refused to believe all his life but would gladly accept as truth right now. Anything to make this feel unwanted, anything to make this terrifying feeling go back where it came from. Anything, other than what he said.</p><p>Stiles couldn't go to Derek. No, he couldn't.</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>Stiles had ruined everything. It was now official. Derek was avoiding him. Stiles walked into the gym in the morning. He hoped he wouldn't see Derek, not even sure he wanted to see Isaac if he was completely honest. But he was bringing his jug of freshly pressed juice because he couldn't stop doing that. It wouldn't be right to not keep doing that. He couldn't stop caring all of a sudden. Stiles cared, that was a done deal. Too late to turn back now, he was like lichen on a tree trunk, harmless but here to stay.</p><p>Although it would have been awkward to run into Derek, the fact that Stiles hadn't even seen his silhouette anywhere in the gym was a little surprising. The gym was open, Stiles didn't even have to use the key. Stiles decidedly didn't want to use the key, even if he had very rapidly put it on his key ring with the keys to the bookstore and the key to his apartment. Derek had no idea what it meant to give Stiles a key, but newsflash, the gym was part of his home now. The little batman symbol was dangling happily like it has always belonged there. Stiles pointedly didn't think about what it meant. He was good at avoidance. It was a thing he excelled at, someone could give him a PhD in avoidance. Doctor Stiles, avoidance MD.</p><p>Only, this was strange and he kind of missed seeing Derek. It had been more than twelve hours since last night, that was a long time. It felt like a long time because Stiles hadn't slept at all, his mind going round and round in circles.</p><p>Stiles left the jug in the mini fridge and left.</p><p> </p><p>Isaac came in the bookstore sometime around noon. Allison hadn't acted any differently with him all morning so Stiles knew Scott hadn't said a word. Not that Scott knew exactly what had happened, or more precisely hadn't happened, but Scott knew Stiles had feelings. Shit, Stiles had feelings, that wasn't something he wanted to think about right now.</p><p>Isaac greeted him with his usual smile, Stiles squinted his eyes at him in response. Could Isaac not know ? Surely, Isaac knew something, or it meant Derek had been completely unphased by everything. Maybe Derek didn't have to spend all night tossing and turning, wondering what the hell was wrong with him that he couldn't let himself fall in love.</p><p>That would suck. Stiles sort of wanted Derek to feel as bad as he did. No... not really. Stiles wanted Derek to be happy, and to have good nights of sleep and a full stomach full of nice good food.</p><p> </p><p>Isaac and Allison left for lunch, Scott had invited them to go eat some nachos. They didn't ask if Stiles wanted to join but it was just as well, Stiles let them leave, didn't feel like crashing their lunch date. Not today. Enough of the gooey love nonsense for a couple of hours.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn't long before the bell above the bookstore door chimed and in came Lydia crossing the room quickly in a very business-like march, hair flowing behind her back, heels clicking with each step. Stiles felt like he was seeing things in slow motion. She stopped right in front of him.</p><p> </p><p>"Lydia." Stiles whispered stunned.</p><p>"We need to talk." was all she said.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles couldn't find a word to say. She had always had a way to make him feel inadequate and they had left things a little stiff the last time they saw each other. He had no idea why she was even here today. He didn't really want to make a scene, in case a customer were to magically appear right now so he ushered her along and led her upstairs to the little book club nook.</p><p> </p><p>"Scott called me," she started again after a moment.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, he did. That explained why the soulmate duo hadn't invited Stiles for nachos. When Stiles glanced at her to say something snarky, she was staring at him shooting daggers with her eyes. The snarky comment died on Stiles' lips. A bit uneasy, he glanced out the window and braced himself for the life lesson he was about to receive. Lydia Martin always had opinions and a way to meddle in everything. Stiles wouldn't escape it even if he tried.</p><p>"Talk," Lydia commanded.</p><p>"I betrayed the squad code." Stiles shrugged, pulling his lips in a tight line.</p><p>"Fascinating." She answered dryly, leaning against the bookshelf on the right where the romance novels were, crossing her arms over her chest. "What else ?"</p><p>"A guy - the guy you saw me with that one time – tried to kiss me and I panicked. Plain and simple panic." Stiles admitted with a self deprecating smile.</p><p>"And so what ? Wasn't it like a long time coming ? At least weeks in the making." Lydia pointed out.</p><p>"Months." Stiles snorted, sadly.</p><p>"And what ? You think your feelings are going to be like Forever21 clothes ?"</p><p>"What ?" Stiles turned to her in confusion.</p><p>"You think you're sweet and trendy, you're full of nice little colors and patterns and he's going to like you just fine for a couple of dates, maybe even three dates if you're lucky, but in reality you both know you're a worthless piece of junk and you're gonna be left with ugly little bobbles all over and he's never gonna wear you again after that."</p><p>"That was oddly specific, yet not so much ?" Stiles narrowed his eyes at her.</p><p>"What I'm saying is that you, Stiles Stilinski," Lydia wiggled her finger at him. "You are a designer hand bag."</p><p>"What ?" Stiles' brain had a hard time following that metaphor. Since when did Lydia wear Forever21 clothes anyway ?</p><p>"Who do you not trust in this ? You ? Or him ?" She asked a little softer now.</p><p>Stiles swallowed thickly. "That's not it. If I thought this was going to be a Forever21 kind of fling, then..."</p><p>"You wouldn't be scared."</p><p> </p><p>No, he wouldn't be. If he had just met Derek at a bar and found him exceptionally beautiful and totally fuckable, if he had been able to do just that without all the attachment and all the tenderness grown from all these tiny moments that they spent together, if he had been able to treat Derek like something fleeting, an ephemeral moment of heat and passion, that wouldn't have been scary. But he couldn't do that when Derek was his neighbor, when Derek was Isaac's brother. He couldn't do that now, not now, not when he had a fucking key to the gym and Derek might very well have the key to Stiles' heart.</p><p> </p><p>"You're a coward." Lydia stated, twisting the metaphorical knife in Stiles' gut.</p><p>"I am." He agreed without even having to fight it.</p><p>"You think the click would make you any less terrified ?" She asked, jaw clenched.</p><p>"You hate the click." Stiles tried to counter. She was onto him. If he let himself think about it, he would lose all his resolutions. </p><p>"I don't." She replied simply. "For all I say I don't want it, I'd take it if it was coming my way. I just refuse to let the lack of it stop me from living my life." She took a deep breath before adding, "You have feelings for him ?"</p><p>"Yeah, I do..." Stiles breathed out. He had feelings alright, so many feelings. "I know what you're going to say. The click isn't everything, feelings are everything."</p><p>"Feelings are everything." She echoed with a smile.</p><p>"But what if..."</p><p> </p><p>What if it didn't work out, what if going for it made them unhappy, what if they broke each other.</p><p> </p><p>"Isn't he worth it ?" She tilted her head all-too-knowingly.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles didn't give part of himself away to just anyone. Of course, Derek was worth it. Derek was worth every damn heartache Stiles could ever have to go through. Derek was worth every damn risks. And if Stiles was able to make Derek just a little happier than he was, that would mean everything.</p><p> </p><p>"I've been stupid." Stiles concluded. Lydia nodded like yes Stiles being stupid wasn't a big revelation to her at all.</p><p> </p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>Stiles had been stupid. Stupid and scared of losing something so much he didn't dare let himself have it. The feeling was bittersweet. Not being Derek's was painful, no doubt about it. Stiles would have adored knowing that this feeling was meant to be. His heart stung a little thinking they weren't written in the stars.</p><p>But not trying didn't feel right. Stiles couldn't force this feeling down, couldn't force himself to forget he had ever felt it. He wanted to have Derek in his life, he was going to have Derek in his life no matter what happened with them. Derek was Isaac's brother and that meant he had a place in Stiles' life. Stiles would never be able to forget, his heart would never be able to ignore it unless they tried and failed maybe. That was all there was to it. Giving it a chance. </p><p>Maybe neither of them would click on anyone, and then what ? If he didn't try, Stiles would end up on his death bed old and grey, regretting the good life he could have had with that man. All the happiness that could come of it. They deserved to try and get it. Stiles could love Derek so much that not being each other's could be meaningless. They could be each other's in other ways, maybe it would mean just as much.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles wanted to believe it.</p><p> </p><p>He wrote a note. It took him a few days to get to it. Find it in himself to do it, know what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it. He hadn't seen Derek since it all went downhill. He wasn't going to stay on a misunderstanding.</p><p>So he wrote a note, on that same paper he had used for all the Zumba notes he used to slip under the gym door on Tuesday mornings. He used the same one just for the heck of it. He ripped and crumbled the first draft and then the second. He needed something simple. Just a few sentences. Just enough to make Derek understand that Stiles wanted something too, but not a random little fling, he wanted Derek to know what this meant for Stiles. Just a few words could be enough.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles went to slip the note under the gym door. It chose an hour when he knew nobody was in there, at dawn when no one was there working out, the boys probably upstairs still getting dressed.</p><p>He slipped it carefully. "Derek" written on the top fold, hopefully Isaac wouldn't open it. But even then, Stiles decided he wasn't ashamed of it. He was past that.</p><p>All he could hear was his too loud heartbeat ringing with a rhythm of hope and love and hope.</p><p>He was going for it but just dipping his toes in the water, slow and careful. If Derek didn't want to give this thing his all, he would just be free to ignore the note. Act like nothing happened, Stiles would let him, wouldn't mention any of it. They would just sit and watch any random movie tonight at Stiles' apartment for Movie Night. They wouldn't have to speak about any of this to anyone. Scott would let it go if Stiles asked, at least Stiles hoped he would, nothing was too certain. Scott was a little self-righteous sometimes. None of it mattered. All that mattered was that Derek would know then, he would have read the note, he would have gained the knowledge of Stiles' heart.</p><p>And Stiles would know that he tried. Know that Stiles wasn't going to let fear paralyze him. Not when it came to his heart. Not when it came to Derek.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles opened the bookstore, went to his computer to check with the orders of new arrivals. He felt lighter than before, just knowing that it was out of his hands now. The anxiety of it lingering underneath the surface but nowhere near as suffocating as it had been, or as it could be.</p><p> </p><p>He was half way up the stairs, bringing up some new comic books, when the little bell chimed. It was too early for Allison to be coming in to work.</p><p> </p><p>"Stiles," the voice that was unmistakably Derek called softly.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles' breath got stuck on the way to his lungs. He could already feel his heart trying to sky rocket and fly out of his chest. He breathed for a minute, focused on the Marvel comics in his hands, trying to calm himself before turning around.</p><p> </p><p>"I missed receiving these." Derek said when Stiles finally met his eyes. A quick glance to the thing in Derek's raised hand and sure enough that was Stiles' note. "Though, this one didn't seem to mention Zumba."</p><p>"Oh ?" Stiles feigned innocence. "This one might have been meant for someone else then."</p><p>Derek couldn't fight the amused smile from coming on his lips, but still asked, "What does it mean, Stiles ?"</p><p>Stiles scratched the back of his neck, biting his lips. To hell with toes in the water then, he was jumping in head first. "It means I want you."</p><p> </p><p>There he couldn't be more clear. The air was fighting against his lungs again but he refused to be scared.</p><p> </p><p>"I want you, if you want me. I want you. I want to kiss you. I want to keep kissing you. For as long as..." He took in a sharp breath.</p><p> </p><p>That was the hard part, the possible ending part, but still he refused to let it take away anything from all the rest. Stiles wanted this with his whole being. He was nothing but yearning at this point and Derek was here. Surely, it meant something that Derek was here, came here as soon as he got Stiles' note as he went to unlock the gym. Surely all of this had to mean something.</p><p> </p><p>"You want to kiss me ?" Derek's eyebrows shot up.</p><p>"Could I ever dream to be allowed near these lips again ?" Stiles pulled in his lips to keep the teasing smile in.</p><p> </p><p>He couldn't stay serious. This was a serious subject, damn it. He was professing his feelings to that man standing just a few steps down. He was giving his heart away. None of it was a joke. Yet, the little twinkle in Derek's eyes certainly meant he didn't mind it. Stiles was Stiles and Derek knew that.</p><p> </p><p>"That could possibly be arranged." Derek smirked.</p><p>"Do you want to kiss me ?" Stiles couldn't help ask, just to make sure.</p><p>"I think I made that pretty clear the other day."</p><p>"Do you -"</p><p>"Stiles, I want you." Derek cut him, earnestly. He managed to also cut the flow of questions ready to burst out of Stiles by adding, "For as long as you'll have me."</p><p> </p><p>Stiles nodded, "Okay."</p><p> </p><p>That sounded more than okay. That sounded perfect, like everything Stiles could have ever wished for, really. Well, almost, but still more than enough. More than enough to make him incredibly happy.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles fumbled down the steps, and unfailingly missed the last one and slipped, crashing on the floor with a loud yelp. Damn these floating stairs.</p><p> </p><p>He heard Derek curse as he quickly took the few steps separating him from where Stiles was sprawled on the floor covered in comic books. "Are you okay ?"</p><p>"I'm fine. I-"</p><p> </p><p>Derek's hand went for Stiles' elbow like it usually did when Derek helped him get up from any of his unlucky missteps.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh shit." Stiles froze.</p><p> </p><p>Derek's hand had slid from his elbow to his hand.</p><p> </p><p>"Did you hit your head ?" Derek's free hand moved up, his fingers tunneling through Stiles' hair, gently pressing on his scalp as if he was checking for some bump or other injury.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh shit." Stiles repeated, eyes locked on the spot where Derek's fingers were touching the skin of his hand, holding him. Something sparked in his brain. Pure energy twirling. Intensely overwhelming, but still so delicate, like the moment a flower come into bloom.</p><p> </p><p>"Are you alright ?"</p><p> </p><p>Stiles just let out a soft breathy chuckle. Derek cupped his jaw to force him to meet his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>"Don't you feel it ?" Stiles swallowed, a little distressed now.</p><p> </p><p>"Stiles. What -" Derek frowned. Something in Stiles' eyes must have given away what was happening because Derek's eyebrows shot up. "Oh. <em>Oh</em>. You clicked ?" He asked, voice barely a whisper. "It was real ?" He breathed out. A little curl fighting his way to the corner of his lips. "It was real ?" He repeated, disbelieving.</p><p> </p><p>Then his lips were on Stiles' and he was kissing him once, twice. "It was real ?" He asked again, more to himself in between kisses.</p><p> </p><p>"Wha ?" Stiles' mind stumbled, he wasn't quite clear on what was supposed to be real or not. He just grinned against Derek's lips. Derek was kissing him, didn't seem to be able to stop and Stiles was here to take all of these kisses. Received each of them with all his heart, welcoming.</p><p>Stiles could barely breathe with how good this felt to have him here, touching, kissing him.</p><p>"It was real ?" Derek's whole body was vibrating, still hovering above Stiles who was still sprawled on the floor.</p><p>"Dude, you're shaking." Stiles murmured, finally remembering that he had hands, movable hands, that he could use to touch. Touch Derek. One went directly to bury his fingers in Derek's beautiful dark hair, and the other followed the path of Derek's ribs to find its place between his shoulder blades, holding him, slightly pulling him closer.</p><p>Derek moved to pepper kisses all over Stiles' jaw, down his neck. Derek's stubble scraping against soft skin as Derek nuzzled his way down over Stiles' pulse point. "It was real." He said once more.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn't a question anymore.</p><p> </p><p>"You mean you knew all along ?" Stiles couldn't help smiling but really if Derek had known that for a fact from the very start, he was still going to be a little pissed off.</p><p>"No." Derek shook his head slowly before leaving one last kiss on that spot where Stiles' neck met his shoulder.</p><p>"Don't tell me that death glare that first night at the club was you clicking on me, because man, that would be so wrong ! That's not how you're supposed to look at the love of your life for the first time ! At least not if you know they're the love of your life !" Stiles supplied, as Derek was starting to move away enough for Stiles to sit up.</p><p>"No. No I didn't know. It wasn't on sight" Derek frowned, before adding cheekily. "There was just something about these girly yelps I kept hearing through the wall."</p><p>"Excuse you. My yelps might be girly but they are just as valid as any other yelps." Stiles gestured around him with his hands, as if his hands were recreating the yelps maybe.</p><p>"The first time I heard you, I had never met you." Derek confided, whisper quiet. "I didn't who you were. You could have been anyone, could have been a customer from the bookstore that I'd never hear again. But then, there was you."</p><p>"But why didn't you tell me ?"</p><p>"I didn't know there was anything to tell." Derek shrugged, seemingly embarrassed. How cute was he ? Stiles' heart could explode with it. "That first time I had that feeling. Something telling me that I wanted to keep that person safe forever. But I was busy, we had just opened and I was in the middle of an aerobiking class. I couldn't just leave. I didn't even think about leaving because I had no idea what it meant. I had no idea it was a click."</p><p>
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</p><p>Stiles could definitely picture Derek on his bike, all sweaty and breathtaking and fucking clicking on Stiles' yelp through the wall. That was the most ridiculous thing he had ever imagined. He could laugh but he still had questions. He wanted to know everything.</p><p>
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</p><p>"But after that ?" Stiles pressed on.</p><p>"After that, it turns out, you don't keep clicking, you click once and then your brain thinks it's done." Derek chuckled breathlessly. "I met you and all I thought was that you were kind of an ass."</p><p>Stiles laughed at that. "You were an ass too !"</p><p>"Yeah, I was, and I still am." Derek rubbed a hand across his face, just looking straight at Stiles for a second. "I just wasn't sure of anything. Mostly, you didn't seem to reciprocate. If I trusted something it was that you, of all people, would have said something if there was something to tell, but you didn't. I didn't want to believe that you had clicked but hated it so much that you decided to not mention it. The more I got to know you, the more I knew that it wouldn't be happening this way. If you had clicked and hated it, you would have made me pay. So I just thought I had imagined it. And then I heard you laugh and I wanted to keep hearing that, always, but I didn't know if it was the click or just everything else that was happening..." Derek dipped his head shyly before meeting Stiles' gaze again.</p><p>"Yeah." Stiles breathed out, nodding eagerly. "Yeah, there was a lot happening to me too. It was just a lot."</p><p>"I never realized that we hadn't touched. I mean, we touched."</p><p>"Never skin on skin it seems." Stiles looked down at where their hands had found their way to each other again.</p><p>"I didn't even know that was a requirement." Derek shrugged. "I just thought -"</p><p>"Wait. Hold on. Hold that thought." Stiles put a finger on Derek's lips to shush him. "I just need to."</p><p> </p><p>He pulled his finger off and replaced it with his lips. Derek was a little tense with surprise at first. He quickly melted into the kiss just as Stiles murmured, "Just surfing the wave, you know." against his lips.</p><p> </p><p>"You're an idiot." Derek smiled as they separated.</p><p>"Hm-hm" Stiles agreed, going in for another kiss. Deeper, his tongue darting out to taste.</p><p>"There's no wave past the one instant. It's done." Derek said moving to kiss the corner of Stiles' mouth.</p><p>"Oh look who's knowledgeable, all educated on the subject now." Stiles scrunched up his nose, mocking him sweetly.</p><p> </p><p>Derek shook his head and leaned in for another kiss, capturing his mouth again, biting softly at his lower lip.</p><p>
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</p><p>"I feel so stupid." Stiles admitted, dropping his forehead against Derek's "I should have kissed you the first moment I wanted to."</p><p>"I don't regret any moment I spent with you." Derek confessed, as one of his hands went to cup Stiles' face again, thumb tracing soft little patterns on Stiles' cheek.</p><p>"That's sweet but you don't know how much I tortured myself. I was so torn. Tears, tears wasted. I could have just kissed you."</p><p>"Tears ?" Derek asked, voice cracking as if the idea alone was heartbreaking to him.</p><p>"Hey, I'm the one who cried, no need to get your panties in a knot." Stiles snorted wanting to break the tension a little. Derek huffed. Luckily, Derek seemed to find Stiles' humor irresistible or insufferable. One of the other, but at least Stiles knew it worked.</p><p>"But wait," Stiles perked up. "It's just the initial feeling, right ? That means I'm not gonna feel it every time I touch you."</p><p>"I'm kind of glad I don't have it every time you talk, I'd have brain damage. You talk a lot." Derek deadpanned.</p><p>"Asshole." Stiles grinned.</p><p>"It's true. I'd never be able to get a word in." Derek said in all seriousness.</p><p>"Yes, and what if I discover in a minute that you're a terrible kisser ? How awful would that be ?" Stiles sighed, scratching at his jaw.</p><p>Derek's lips twitched, and Stiles was gone then. Stiles couldn't handle the tiny twitches of lips. He pulled Derek by the lapel of his jacket and brought their lips together again and again. A warm hand grabbed his jaw again, holding him, angling him just right, tongue inviting itself in Stiles' mouth in searing kiss for the briefest moment.</p><p>"Okay." Stiles smiled. He was fairly sure the smile on his face for as beatific as it could ever get. "Okay, I take it back. Not a bad kisser."</p><p>Derek hummed in agreement. Stiles was now the one pressing a soft series of small little kisses on Derek’s lips before moving up to his cheek, to his temple. He felt like there were so many kisses he had to make up for, all that affection he needed to pour into it for all the months he did not dare let his desire show. All of it coming out now. All of it, just for Derek.</p><p>"I'm yours. It is real." Stiles murmured. He felt Derek's smile, as his cheek moved across Stiles' lips.</p><p>
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</p><p>God. Stiles' heart was vibrating with it all. He had clicked. All the fear gone, no urgency, no last kiss coming in the horizon. Just this. Life.</p><p>
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</p><p>"Uh. Are we interrupting something ?" Isaac asked, followed closely by Scott and Allison who was holding a cup holder from the coffee shop down the street.</p><p>"Finally." Allison rolled her eyes.</p><p>
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</p><p>Derek moved away and Stiles scrambled to his feet. He knew his lips were red and swollen, his skin burned from Derek's stubble. He also knew he was blushing, and could see from the corner of his eyes that Derek's ears were red too. Mister Composure was not so composed it seemed.</p><p>
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</p><p>"Humm." Derek started. "Stiles has decided to sign up for that second Zumba class we're going to do on Fridays. We were celebrating." He licked his lips on the last word. The movement was mesmerizing.</p><p>But what ?</p><p>"What ?" Stiles turned around, wide eyed, as soon as his brain stopped being stuck on how gorgeous Derek was. The unimpressed looks he got from all three of them, Derek included, was enough of a tell that even he was unimpressed with himself. "You're joking."</p><p>"No kidding," Scott snorted. "Have you seen the disaster you were ? No way you'd willingly sign up for any classes at Triskele."</p><p>
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</p><p>Oh no. Stiles turned to Scott, and if looks could kill, Scott would be dead in a puddle of his own blood right about now. That was some kind of reverse psychology, Stiles was aware but had no will power against it. They could all prepare for Stiles' fury, or in this particular case, they could all prepare to see Stiles come to Triskele with some brand new neon colored workout clothes and learn to move his body in ways he wasn't even aware existed before. Stiles was ready to prove them all wrong.</p><p>
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</p><p>"What did you say ?" Stiles narrowed his eyes.</p><p>
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</p><p>Stiles was saved from making any promises by a customer coming in the bookstore. Saved by the bell.</p><p>It was time for everyone to leave anyway. The gym was supposed to open, Scott certainly had some cat to save. They all grabbed a coffee cup from the holder in Allison's hand and were on their way to the door. Isaac kissed Allison's right cheek, Scott kissed her left. Derek stopped a second and took a step back toward Stiles kissed him quickly on the mouth. Stiles' lips chased after his, and the one short kiss turned into two, three, four.</p><p>"Go. Go..." Stiles said, breathless, heart ready to explode any second.</p><p>"I'll see you later." Derek's voice was hoarse.</p><p>
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</p><p>Stiles beamed.</p><p>
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</p><p>*-*-*</p><p>
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</p><p>Gary called later during the day to announce that Stiles was now the happy landlord of the two adjacent buildings. He asked if Stiles planned on buying the whole street next. As it turned out the man who owned the gym also owned two other buildings on the street and had been more than happy with the price Gary had been willing to pay for Triskele. Stiles snorted and told him to go for it if he felt like this was a good investment. Stiles trusted Gary, he had been the leader of the StilinsKlick team forever, had been second in command when Claudia was still alive. He was very much the boss of everything except in name. Stiles told him just that, and if he wanted to buy the buildings, he should. The only thing was that Stiles wasn't going to go ask for rents if people weren't paying. Stiles would be very happy to just let people live rent free. Gary huffed on the other side of the line but didn't say anything more.</p><p>Stiles received a copy of the purchase agreement. He was filled with such a bubbly sensation since the morning that he had half a mind to just put Derek and Isaac's names on it. He didn't though, he worked on his self-control. That wasn't something he could do without asking first. He couldn't go and gift them a building. What he could do was to be a very nice landlord until both of them were ready to accept more.</p><p>
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</p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>It was Movie Night, a Die Hard marathon, courtesy of Stiles. Welcome to the party, Pal!</p><p>Scott had brought home a casserole that his mom had made. It was actually two casseroles. In good mom's fashion, Melissa had doubled her proportions the last few times she had gifted them food, just to make sure nobody was left hungry. She apparently had understood pretty early on that the five musketeers wouldn't be losing any member any time soon. She didn't know how right she had been.</p><p>For the first time, Stiles didn't feel like sitting on the floor next to Scott. He squeezed himself in between Isaac and Derek, being enough of an annoyance that Isaac made a comment about his ass being too big to fit in there. Stiles chuckled because yes that couch wasn't meant for so many people. Derek didn't say a word but pressed himself against the armrest and discreetly pulled Stiles against him, almost on his lap.</p><p>Stiles could feel himself blushing as Derek's arm wrapped around him and found its way under the hem of Stiles' shirt.</p><p>How on Earth did they manage to spend month without touching ? Now it felt like they couldn't stop, like Derek's fingers belonged there brushing against Stiles' hip bone. Stiles was ready for these fingers to move and find other places to touch. Would very much like to feel these fingers all over him.</p><p>Sadly, Bruce Willis wasn't enough distraction for the three people sitting next to them. All three pairs of eyes were on them, more than on the movie on the screen.</p><p> </p><p>"Soooo..." Scott drawled in their direction. "Any big announcement from the two of you ?"</p><p>"I bought the gym." Stiles blurted out. "I mean the building. The buy was finalize today."</p><p>Stiles was impressed to not even feel a single twitch or tension coming from Derek's body.</p><p>"What ?" Isaac frowned.</p><p>"We'll figure out what to do about the rent." Derek chipped in, hooking his chin on Stiles' shoulder. Stiles bit his lip to not say screw the rent. Surely, as soulmates, money was not to be an issue too much longer, was it? It couldn't be expected of Stiles to just stand by and watch Derek struggle with it more than he should. Stiles would be patient though. He knew it was a question of pride and he wasn't going to push it. He would do his part and make sure everything turned out alright without overstepping. That was a thing Stiles could do for his family.</p><p>"That's great and all." Allison smiled. "But I think we're more curious about all of this." She said, hand gesturing to the two of them, obviously cuddling on the couch.</p><p>"I clicked." Stiles admitted simply. Derek twitched at that, fingers pressing a pinch harder against his skin.</p><p>"What ?" it came out in stereo.</p><p>"Today." Stiles precised.</p><p>"Of course, you'd be in the 2%. I should have known." Scott shook his head, seemingly disappointed with himself.</p><p>"Even if we had touched before. What would would have been the odds of us clicking ? All of us, in the same street, the same family ? Statistically -"</p><p>"Statistically, I guess there's no way to get rid of you now." Isaac smirked.</p><p>Stiles glared at him, mouth open without words.</p><p>"Isaac," Scott reprimanded. "It's too soon to banter like brothers."</p><p>"What? It's never too soon. You're scared I will be too busy teasing him I won't be teasing you? Fear no more my love, I have a endless amount of tease in me. Plus, I'm happy for them. My big bro has been pining over Stiles for months. He thinks he was discreet but, <em>dude."</em> Isaac rolled his eyes, dramatically.</p><p>"All I have to say about this is that Die Hard is supposed to be a Christmas movie and we're nowhere near the Holidays." Allison shrugged, with a all-too-knowing smile.</p><p>
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</p><p>*-*-*</p><p> </p><p>Everybody had left on the pretext of something very urgent to do. They weren't fooling anyone but it was still very much appreciated. Stiles could appreciate a very conspicuous departure if it meant he was finally alone with Derek for a little while.</p><p><br/>Stiles drew Derek close, breathed him in, kissed him soft and tentative. It still felt so new. So fresh, like the first drops of rain falling down from the clouds. Derek tasted like hope and home and a little bit of toothpaste. There were probably tons of poems written about this feeling. Nothing seemed to come close to this moment right here.</p><p>"God, they could never get it right. This is so much better." Stiles sighed blissfully.</p><p>"What do you mean ?" Derek's gaze was so gentle it felt like a caress over Stiles' face.</p><p>"Knowing you. Wanting you. All that StilinsKlick bullshit couldn't come close to what I'm feeling right now." </p><p>Derek smiled and leaned down to kiss him again, less tentative. Stiles couldn't stop the small whimper coming out of him when Derek cradled his jaw, his soft fingertips brushing Stiles' skin and deepened the kiss. Stiles moaned as Derek's tongue came to taste his, hot and wet and breathtaking. The kiss was never ending, through moans and gasps and little whimpers of relief. </p><p>Derek pulled away with a happy sigh, looking away like he was remembering something funny.</p><p>"What is it ?" Stiles took his time kissing Derek's neck, soft and slow, learning the curve of his shoulder and the taste of his skin.</p><p>"Just something about the noises you make. All the sounds you make but don't think about." Derek admitted in a murmur. Just a secret for Stiles to keep.</p><p>Stiles hummed happily. "I'm sure we can find a way to make more."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The End</p><p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you enjoyed the story, consider leaving a kudo/comment.<br/>Find me on <a href="https://fairydustedtheory.tumblr.com/tagged/plot%20twist%20:%20i%20write">tumblr</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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